Ruling party top figures call Ombudswoman “anti-Public Defender”, “UNM’s defender”

The ruling Georgian Dream party head Irakli Kobakhidze and the chair of the GD faction in the state legislature, Mamuka Mdinaradze, on Friday slammed the country’s Public Advocate Nino Lomjaria for her statement today that “it is natural Georgians not to express love” to Russiams,following the reports on a “serious influx” of Russian citizens on thE background of RusSia’s war in Ukraine and the occupation of Georgian territories by Russia. 

 

The GD officials claimed that Lomjaria’s statement was “xenophobic”. “Unfortunately, we do not have a public defender. She is a  public defender of  the radical United National Movement opposition”, Mdinaradze said. 

 

In his remarks, Kobakhidze, who earlier accused Lomjaria of “backing the radical moves of the opposition to otherthrow the government”, said Lomjaria was “anti-public-defender”. 

 

Lomjaria’s term in office expires this year. 

 

The approval of the new ombudswoman will require 90 votes in the state legislature,which means that the ruling party will have to cooperate with the opposition.