“I want to express solidarity with Father Dorothe Kurashvili, this is an unprecedented example of how the system persecutes, expressing sympathy for repression, showing Christian kindness and love has become punishable in this country,” Lasha Parulava, a member of the Political Council of the United National Movement, told the GPB First Channel program “Topic of the Day”.

“Today, we saw an example of this. Obviously, what the Patriarchate announced to us is a political decision, although Irakli Kobakhidze had already announced zero compassion. If we ask what zero compassion is, we saw it today. Zero compassion is what was done to Father Dorothe Kurashvili, who is not only a supporter, but also expressed compassion for the oppressed, repressed society and was punished for it,” said Parulava.

Since he was at the Georgian Public Broadcaster, the member of the United National Movement noted, it was essential for him to address topics that are important to society, issues that genuinely matter to the citizens.

“Another indication that the Georgian Dream is disconnected from the real issues faced by our society and its people was their decision in the 2026 budget, where they increased their own salaries by thousands of lari, while pensions saw a modest rise of just GEL 20. This is their true attitude.

For thirteen years, not a single tax has been reduced under the Georgian Dream rule. Instead of lowering national or municipal taxes, all taxes have been increased; sometimes twofold or even threefold. Meanwhile, the prices of food baskets have risen three or four times, and inflation is directly linked to this. All of this is the result of the harmful economic policies pursued by the Georgian Dream,” said Parulava.

The host of the programme pointed out that they could have used the mandates entrusted to them by voters to address these issues from the parliamentary rostrum. To this, Lasha Parulava replied that they have been caught in a severe spiral of repression and terror for the past thirteen years.

In response to the host, Tamta Sanikidze’s question about how a political force, against which serious accusations have been made, should respond, considering not only the government’s stance but also the testimonies of dozens of witnesses at parliamentary commission sessions that the public watched live, many of whom suffered under the previous government, Lasha Parulava stated that the tool used by the government in the illegitimate parliament, which no one recognises, was actually an opposition tool. He argued that they appropriated this opposition tool just as they claimed to have manipulated the elections and altered the results to suit their own interests.

According to him, political parties must be accountable for election outcomes within a democratic system. The results of elections determine the level of influence and control that the ruling political force holds over the country. Therefore, free and fair elections are essential, where political parties are genuinely evaluated and their legitimacy is established.

When asked about what is meant by the formation of opposition unity, as Tina Bokuchava discussed, Parulava emphasised that values, merits, and the European future are of paramount importance. He stressed that society, their supporters, fanciers, and the democratic forces who have been protesting in the streets for a year to demand free and fair elections should come together around these principles.

“We are fighting to hold elections in this country without Ivanishvili’s regime, and we will continue this struggle, because it is not only about political parties. Unity has already been established, and all of us on Rustaveli Avenue are part of this unity. We are all fighting for Georgia’s democratic future, for its European future. The entire Georgian society and democratic forces are now standing together. The so-called ban on parties is a threat to our country. Ivanishvili is telling our fellow citizens that they do not have the right to a political identity. That is the core issue. Of course, we all share the common stance that we must fight to the end,” Parulava stated.