GD Member: We are ready to hold UNM accountable

“Punishing the National Movement (members of the United National Movement) has been the prevailing demand of the vast majority of our population since 2012. However, we were compelled to coexist and appoint several ministers and presidents during a time when the state was not as sovereign and strong as it is today,” stated Levan Machavariani, a member of the parliamentary majority.

Machavariani emphasized that Georgia would not operate under external directives. He noted that while the Georgian government considers recommendations from foreign partners, it ultimately acts per national interests.

He further mentioned that holding UNM members accountable was a pre-election promise of the Georgian Dream party. Although the party did not secure a constitutional majority, winning 60% of the votes in the elections, it is “ready to fulfil that promise.”

“We will carry out this process; nobody will escape punishment for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of families who suffered under this nine-year-long bloody regime,” he asserted.

The GD member explained that this intention stems from two main reasons: to restore justice and to prevent the brainwashing of young people who either did not witness or do not remember the UNM’s activities.

“Today, representatives of the collective UNM, through their controlled media, attempt to mislead the youth, who are caught up in emotions, do not recall the events or were too young at the time. They label the Georgian Dream as a regime, seeking to embed this narrative in the minds of the younger generation.

This will be a six-month process. A fact-finding commission will operate and submit its recommendations to the Prosecutor’s Office and relevant institutions. Through this process, the youth will gain insight into what a totalitarian and authoritarian regime truly entails.

I want to remind society that the Strasbourg Court recognized human rights violations during those nine years, which had a systemic nature involving entire state structures. I also note that in the context of the 2008 war, this process will not impact soldiers or military commanders but will focus on those who ordered the war, those who stood at the forefront of the regime, and those who led our country into this disaster,” he said.

GD Executive Secretary Mamuka Mdinaradze announced on January 9 that an investigative commission regarding the 2003-2012 regime will be established during the spring session.