PM vows to defeat ‘Collective National Movement’: Attempt to destabilize Georgia has failed

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Friday that an attempted effort to destabilize the country had failed, calling yesterday’s vote another step toward neutralizing what he described as a “collective National Movement.”

Speaking at a briefing at the Georgian Dream party office, Kobakhidze said that over the past four years, the National Movement have tried five times to overthrow the government, stage a Maidan-style protest and sow unrest — attempts, he said, to which the state responded appropriately.

“We have a responsibility to more than 1,100,000 voters to rid our country of this disease called the collective National Movement. This collective includes relevant political parties, foreign agents operating here, and extremist groups allegedly funded and directed by foreign services — for example, some university-affiliated groups linked to the Saakashvili family. Organizations such as ‘Pari’ and ‘Ertoba’ and other groups have, among them, allowed dozens to block streets over the past year. One hundred and ten people cannot block the will of 1,100,000 voters. Their aim was to harm the state and the economy. They failed to do so decisively, but they caused some damage. Our duty is to neutralize this political force and foreign influence so Georgia can have a stable, democratic political system,” he stated.

Kobakhidze also said the ‘Deaf State’ plan to replace the National Movement with Lelo and Gakharia has failed, calling those parties “practically write-offs.”

“The replacement project has failed. Yesterday’s elections were another step toward neutralizing the anti-state force called the ‘collective National Movement.’ We will continue to address this going forward. I thank every voter and the CEC for a high level of election administration,” the Prime Minister said.