Speaker warns that foreign-backed groups pursue power through violence, steering Georgia towards Maidan

“Several political groups and foreign-funded NGOs are attempting to seize power through violence; this is a path that leads directly to Maidan,” stated Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia.

Papuashvili was asked about the statements made by opposition representatives regarding the so-called “peaceful revolution.”

“It is generally clear what we are dealing with. Several political groups, along with a number of foreign-funded NGOs, have departed from the democratic framework.

They have explicitly stated that they refuse to participate in the democratic process and have embarked on a path of violent regime change. I would like to remind everyone that the only legitimate way to secure a government mandate is through elections. These groups, I mean parties and NGOs financed from abroad, have declared that they are moving beyond democratic norms in their attempt to gain power and influence through violence.

This statement pertains solely to the issue of overthrow, nothing more. Accordingly, anyone participating in this, whether by belittling it, supporting the so-called overthrow, or turning it into a salon-style affair through meetings and diplomatic or political gatherings, is inciting violent processes. We see this clearly.

The fact remains that they lack any genuine public support. Their behaviour also indicates that the only option they consider is to orchestrate some form of provocation, one that could thrust society and the state into an extraordinary crisis.

This is the perilous path that numerous parties and NGOs are treading today under foreign influence. It is a route that leads straight to Maidan, bloodshed and unrest.

We have grown quite accustomed to the Maidan in recent times, or rather, in the recent past. Do you recall how, last December, a representative of the Swedish government called on the opposition to support the Maidan? Society should perceive these events in exactly the same way that today, several political groups and foreign-funded NGOs are attempting to reprise the 1990s in Georgia,” said Shalva Papuashvili.