Parliament Speaker, ruling party officials accuse President of “attacking” National Bank, “following” opposition’s agenda

Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Tuesday accused President Salome Zourabichvili of “attacking” the country’s National Bank and “harming” Georgia’s EU prospects, after the latter on Monday urged the Bank to annul its “Russian decision” that exempt citizens of international sanctions without the ruling by domestic courts. 

 

In her post, Zourabichvili once again called on the Bank to reject its September 19 decision, which came on the heels of the US sanctioning the former Prosecutor General under the Georgian Dream Government Otar Partskhaladze earlier this month for alleged cooperation with the Russian FSB. 

 

Papuashvili also said the President continued to “neglect” the country’s constitution by her foreign trips without the Government’s consent, with the domestic constitutional court looking into the alleged violation of the country’s main law by the President after a lawsuit by the ruling power. 

 

Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling party, on Tuesday said the President was “following” the agenda of the “radical wing” of the domestic opposition, and added “it is her choice”.