Parliament official says Georgia has no place for opposition engaging in unconstitutional actions

Zviad Shalamberidze, the First Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Regional Policy and Self-Government, said on Tuesday that there was always room for the opposition in Georgian politics, but not for radical opposition groups that resorted to unconstitutional actions.

Shalamberidze was responding to recent remarks by Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, who said he did not rule out the possibility that the issue of banning political parties in Georgia could be reviewed by the European Court of Human Rights.

Speaking to Imedi TV, Shalamberidze said the shifting positions of what he described as “Euro-bureaucrats” came as no surprise to the ruling team, arguing that they acted in line with instructions serving their own interests.

“We are observing this even today, and it is possible that the rhetoric will be quite different a week from now. However, we have repeatedly seen that, for the Georgian agency network that calls itself the opposition, statements made from abroad often serve as a lifeline,” Shalamberidze said.

“For the past few days, there had been no such statements from abroad. This one was essentially brought in just now to bolster the opposition’s position and create the impression that it enjoys external support. Yet, a clear distinction must be made: we have always maintained that there is room for an opposition in the country’s politics, but not for a radical opposition that has spent years taking unconstitutional actions,” he continued.

The official stressed that there was always room for an opposition that acted constructively and fulfilled the role of a conventional opposition.

“In fact, we welcome such an approach. However, there is no place in Georgian politics for an opposition that has engaged in blackmailing the government and the country as a whole for years while operating from beyond its borders,” he concluded.