Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili emphasized the importance of the 2024 elections in setting the right political priorities for the country in an interview with the GPB First Channel program Kviris Moambe (Sunday Moambe).

He expressed the need for a political environment focused on substantive discussion rather than radical agendas.

“Elections mark the day and moment when political priorities are determined, unveiling those prepared for democratic discourse and those not yet ready for it, as well as distinguishing those advocating for radicalism and extremism.

It is in the best interest of the Georgian people that the 2024 elections set the right political priorities for the next four years and prevent any attempts to establish a radical agenda that was tried in 2020, marked by fraud, lies, and manipulation that persisted for almost a year. The announcement of a parliamentary boycott, denying voters the opportunity to submit their mandates, further intensified the challenge.

A key responsibility for our European colleagues is to collaborate with the opposition, fostering their maturity for the 2024 elections to ensure a pre-election environment grounded in substantive discussions rather than the familiar pattern seen in the opposition, where they often rely on one or two populist issues and work on emotions. The opposition forces must distance themselves from these tactics and engage in consequential discourse.

A keen observer of parliamentary activities will notice that whenever discussions turn substantive, the opposition leaves the hall or stands weak in the discussions. This is evident during ministers’ hours format, when they only ask questions and don’t even wait for the answers, because they are not ready for substantive discussion,” the Speaker said.