Georgian Parliament Speaker accused the British Ambassador

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili
Photo: ankasam.org

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili accused the British Ambassador of interfering in the country's internal political processes. According to him, the British diplomat tried to influence the outcome of the parliamentary elections in the fall of 2024, acting in the interests of the opposition, @NGnewsgeorgia reports.

"The fact is that the British Ambassador interfered in the elections. He tried to shape public opinion against the «Georgian Dream» party and bring another force to power – the one that unleashed terror in the country," - Papuashvili said in an interview with Rustavi 2.

He demands that the Ambassador "openly and directly" explain his position. "They entered the election campaign and were its participants, so be kind enough to behave as subjects participating in politics and answer: why did the British Ambassador interfere in the elections? This is the accusation I am making against him," the Parliament Speaker said.

This statement was made against the backdrop of the British Embassy's decision to withdraw grant proposals planned for municipal elections in Georgia this fall. The diplomatic mission explained that due to the new procedure for issuing international grants in force in Georgia, it is impossible to obtain the relevant permission from the authorities. The embassy believes that the impossibility of implementing grant projects jeopardizes the transparency and competitiveness of elections.

Following the escalation of the domestic political crisis and street protests at the end of last year, Georgia adopted legislative amendments prohibiting media outlets and NGOs from receiving foreign grants without the prior consent of the government.

At the same time, at the end of May, a law on foreign agents came into force in Georgia – an analogue of the FARA law in force in the United States. Unlike the law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" adopted last year, it implies criminal liability and applies to individuals.

The ruling Georgian Dream explains all these changes by the fight against attempts to destabilize the situation in the country.

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