Georgian ruling party MP accuses opposition of damaging country’s image over CoE criticism

A senior member of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party has accused opposition figures of deliberately harming the country’s reputation abroad, after 51 members of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) warned of possible sanctions against Tbilisi.

Levan Makhashvili said it was “almost amusing” that those who had, in his words, “blackened [last year’s general] elections and damaged Georgia’s image” in the past were now making critical statements about the government. He argued that the opposition and their “foreign patrons” were trying to weaken Georgia ahead of municipal elections on October 4. 

“The closer we get to elections, the hotter these evaluations will become. Their only goal is to inflict short-term damage on Georgia in order to support the radical opposition,” Makhashvili told journalists. He added that Georgia was ready to discuss any concerns in PACE, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers or other formats, but said the statements by “ideologically motivated deputies” would have no real impact.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also dismissed the PACE criticism on Wednesday, calling it “absurd.” He noted that Georgia had already suspended its own participation in the Assembly, making the deputies’ threat to challenge its status meaningless.

The 51 PACE members said that unless Georgia showed progress in reversing what they described as an authoritarian course, they would consider contesting the credentials of the Georgian delegation.