MP Sharmanashvili: We positively assess OSCE PA statement, ready for objective dialogue

Tengiz Sharmanashvili, a member of the parliamentary majority in Georgia, says he positively assesses the statement issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly regarding its recent visit to the country.

Speaking to Georgian Public Broadcaster, Sharmanashvili said the statement was significant because it condemned violence.

“This is the first time that an international structure has spoken out against the violence that we have seen in Georgia in recent years. We have always said that if organizations and individuals are honest with us, they should look at both sides. If they have something to say to us, they should say it directly, but they should not turn a blind eye to the processes that were taking place in Georgia and were even encouraged,” Sharmanashvili said.

He also claimed that some international actors had supported protests that later turned violent.

“You know that the EU spokesperson supported the October 4 rally. This was the rally that was preparing for the overthrow. Later everyone saw the violence, but no one said a word. We are ready to engage in dialogue with anyone who approaches us objectively,” he added.

Commenting on the Assembly’s remarks regarding legislation, Sharmanashvili said the government adopted certain laws in response to developments in the country.

“We did not have these laws for years. We began adopting them as a reaction to what we were seeing. If non-governmental organizations and radical parties reject violence and are ready to act within the framework of the constitution and the law, then this legislation can be revised, especially if the rules of the game are respected. We did not need these laws for anything; we simply defended ourselves,” Sharmanashvili said.

In its statement on the visit, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly stressed that ” the use of violence against state institutions is not acceptable. Change must be made through the ballot box and through policy-making bodies, not through violence aimed at overthrowing them.” The Assembly also noted that resolving Georgia’s political challenges is the responsibility of domestic actors and called on all sides to start direct communication in order to restore dialogue.

The statement also emphasized that banning parties or regular political or civil activity is not the way forward, and politics should take place within the relevant institutions, and boycotts cannot serve as an alternative to dialogue and political activism.