Georgian PM says opposition would rather talk to foreign diplomats than the court because it has no arguments

“They would rather talk to foreign diplomats than to the court, which says a great deal, including that they have no hope of defending their positions because they have no arguments,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said, answering journalists’ questions about opposition leaders’ meeting with ambassadors.

He said that over all these years, these political parties have done nothing but sabotage.

“They always do this. Instead of talking to the people, they talk to diplomats and their foreign masters, even before elections, when they should be talking to the people. And now, with a court case underway, they would rather talk to foreign diplomats than to the court. That says a great deal, including that they have no hope of defending their positions, because they have no arguments.

Over all these years, these political parties have done nothing but sabotage. First before 2012 (you know these parties’ record), and then from 2012 onwards. Leaving everything else aside, they tried to derail every election. They even tried to derail the 2012 elections, which they themselves had organised, and then in 2016, 2020 and 2024 (I’m only talking about parliamentary elections). They tried to derail practically every election and declared them illegitimate, first Margvelashvili, then Zourabichvili. They declared every president illegitimate, every parliament illegitimate, which was a farce in itself. Then they had to take their seats in the ‘illegitimate’ parliament, hail the ‘illegitimate’ president as a hero, and so on.

All this proves that sabotage was their ultimate goal: sabotage directed straight at our constitutional order. These are simple arguments they cannot counter. That is why they fear constitutional justice and would rather talk to ambassadors than to the Constitutional Court,” Kobakhidze said.

The British Embassy in Georgia hosted a meeting with opposition leaders. According to available information, British Ambassador Gareth Ward, German Ambassador Barbara Voss and French Ambassador Olivier Courteaux attended it. Badri Japaridze (Lelo – Strong Georgia), Irakli Pavlenishvili (United National Movement), Giga Bokeria (Federalists) and Nika Gvaramia (Coalition for Change) presented the opposition.