UNM’s Pavlenishvili: Gegelia is neither representative nor spokesperson for America in Georgia; America knows full well real cause of this crisis

“Representatives from our party and others were present at the meeting, and the picture is very clear. No matter how it is interpreted, America is interested in resolving and defusing the crisis, and is looking for the best methods to de-escalate it,” stated Irakli Pavlenishvili, a member of the United National Movement.

According to him, the Americans are not naive and understand perfectly well that the responsibility does not lie solely with the opposition, especially after everything Georgian Dream has done.

“When we have so many political prisoners, and there is even talk of banning parties, which we could also read about in the statement issued following the visit of the State Department representatives, it is impossible under these conditions to reduce this entire problem and issue down to simply entering parliament. Understandably, this is the straw that Ivanishvili’s propaganda is clutching at. They apparently think this message reflects criticism of the opposition by the U.S. Embassy or Administration. However, such a claim is absurd coming from a force that managed to dismantle the strategic partnership with America and even brought sanctions upon itself. Therefore, the main problem remains Ivanishvili and his actions,” Irakli Pavlenishvili said.

When asked about Grigol Gegelia’s comment that America is disappointed with the boycott, which triggered a dispute, Irakli Pavlenishvili responded:
“Grigol Gegelia is neither a representative nor a spokesperson for America in Georgia; he has his own party agenda, and whatever he says should be viewed not as America’s stance, but as the position of Grigol Gegelia and Lelo.”

“I do not believe anything new has been said by him. He wants to tailor various political issues, including this one, to his own political agenda, which is natural and understandable. As for this general stance, implying that this issue is the sole priority for the U.S. administration, it is a false position and a flawed assumption. People in America are not naive; they are well-informed and know full well the real cause of this crisis,” Irakli Pavlenishvili stated.

Reflecting on the meeting with the American delegation, Lelo member Grigol Gegelia had stated: “We were told that America is disappointed with the boycott policy; the U.S. does not support boycotts or skipping elections.”