“You are getting instructions from the outside and act in foreign interests,” said Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili addressing the opposition.

According to the Speaker, acting in foreign interests is nothing but treason.

“The word treason was mentioned many times. And Nato Chkheidze and Rostom Chkheidze delivered speeches. Ms and Mr Chkheidzes demanded having Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s (late first president) portrait on the wall in this hall. Do you think your deeds coincide with Zviad Gamsakhrdia’s ideals? I mean referring to the foreign countries’ press speaker’s statements about which law to adopt. What is today’s topic?

The law is On Transparency of Foreign Influence. When you stay on the side of a foreign country’s influence instead of Georgia’s interests, is that Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s ideals? Money flows into Georgia, and nobody is accountable to Georgian citizens. Money is secretly spent in politics. Your politics is based on the statements of someone’s press speaker or a member of parliament abroad. Here you are 30 years after independence. You are waiting for instructions from outside and keep on the same rhetoric.

Shame on you! You tell this hall that you act in foreign interests. This is open treachery. When you push the buttons today, you resolve to act in foreign interests, whatever the country it may be, instead of Georgia’s interests.

A foreign country is a foreign country, and you act in foreign countries’ interests. This is the reality. The portrait was a hypocrisy, and you wanted to mention it in your speeches. In fact, you do not acknowledge the ideals that he had and what is at the foundation of our independence, which is our country’s sovereignty,” the Speaker said.