“Western ambassadors’ behaviour, their participation in the trade of captives and exchange prisoners to satisfy Georgian Dream’s interests, is damaging to the West. This is a shame and anti-Western,” Nika Gvaramia, the former First Deputy Prosecutor General and the founder of Mtavari TV, said on Saturday.
“I appeal to the opposition and its voters, who are a bit frustrated, tired, hopeless. Friends, this situation is not right. Look at everything through the eyes of your enemy Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream. Yes, Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Georgian Dream are Georgia’s enemies. See how they are struggling. For the first time in Georgian history, they are alone in parliament as no opposition MPs cooperate with them,” Gvaramia stated.
He pointed out that unification is based on the truth and the people’s will.
“For some reason, some persons thought I was addressing the Citizens party and its leader Aleko Elisashvili, but that is not right. I appealed to all members of the opposition,” Gvaramia said.
According to Gvaramia, it is surprising who mandated Ambassador Kelly Degnan to attend the first sitting of the 10th Parliament on Friday.
“Everyone said they would not sit next to these people who stole people’s votes. They are alone inside the country as well as in international isolation. Examine which country congratulated the Georgian Dream on its victory. Other countries usually congratulate amid exit polls, that was during our time in power. In 2012, Georgian Dream received congratulations after the exit polls. After the CEC final report, the Georgian Dream entered the parliament, but which country congratulated it? The US Ambassador to Georgia, a serious mistake-maker Kelly Degnan, was sitting in the parliament. Did her homeland congratulate the Georgian Dream on coming to power? No, it did not. Well, who gave her the mandate to be in the Parliament? Did she attend the parliament session under the directive of Sopho Bzishvili? The ‘Kotsi’ employees (referring to the Georgian Dream ruling party) the US embassy is stuffed with? Bzishvili’s husband Giorgi Khelashvili, a member of the Georgian Dream issued the arrest warrants in the Isani case (On November 10, Tbilisi City Court sent two persons to pretrial detention for coercing, bribing late Isani District Election Commission Head). Khelashvili dictates the US Embassy’s decisions. Did he tell Degnan to attend the parliament session? This is a protocol violation and political imbalance. Majority of the Georgian people believe this parliament is illegal. The US neither says a word about the election legitimacy nor congratulates the winner. So, who issued the mandate for Kelly Degnan to attend the parliament when the EU Ambassador was not there. Could we find this out? I urge both, the US and EU Ambassadors to refrain from speaking about me or other political prisoners. This is not their business,” Gvaramia said.
Gvaramia believes trade in captives and ransom of captives cannot be the ambassadors’ business.
“Ambassadors should say publicly that the Georgian Dream has political prisoners, instead of as though saving us and bargaining for Georgian Dream. This is a shame and anti-western. The US and EU Ambassadors’ behaviour harms the West as they are involved in the trade of captives and exchange prisoners to satisfy the interests of the Georgian Dream. This triggers nihilism, frustration in the West, led by the US, EU facilitators. Instead of whispering to Georgian Dream, they could say openly that Gvaramia, Melashvili, and Ilychova are subjects of political persecution. No one needs gifted freedom. We need the truth about political persecution and prisoners. We need this from the ambassadors of the West and not in whispers. We do not need the releases through diplomatic efforts. Shall we thank the ambassadors or Georgian Dream Executive Secretary Irakli Kobakhidze, who terrorize us? I do not remember any statement by these two ambassadors regarding my children’s persecution. I do not care what they say behind the scenes. I care about public condemn of spying on my family, as well as an open denouncement of those, who want to see me in jail. The Georgian people deserve it. What do we bargain for, trading captives to justify or enter the illegal parliament? Is that a mission for Degnan and Hartzell? Are their activities beneficial for us? Is this my anti-Western position? The Georgian Dream’s position is anti-Western, and unfortunately, the activities of these two ambassadors are harmful to the West. I declare this with full responsibility. I, Nika Gvaramia, the main pro-western leader of this country, declare this. I mean televisions and not political leaders,” Gvaramia stressed.
Nika Gvaramia calls on the opposition not to participate in the ongoing negotiations between the government and the opposition, facilitated by the US and EU ambassadors to Georgia.
“I appeal to everyone. Do you want to talk to people who trade in captives and threatening by repression? Go ahead, but you can not benefit from it. Instead, the release of four prisoners will result in the arrest of eight others. Participation in the trade of captives will fetch this result. The ambassadors know best that negotiation with terrorists means death. Do you want to talk to terrorists? Go ahead, sit down with Kobakhidze and talk to him, the person who abolishes United National Movement’s (UNM) registration and will likely arrest those who have positive sentiments towards Mikheil Saakashvili. Do you want to talk about the new Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to be similar to present Tamar Zhvania? But in the 21st century, not facts but perceptions decide everything. No one in this country, even the Georgian Dream supporters, would ever believe that you did not take the money and are silent for this reason. I would believe, the others would not, “Gvaramia said.
