Volski: It’s wrong to act as if the party ban came out of nowhere. Was there not a sadistic regime?

“We have heard many statements that parties cannot be banned because it violates democratic standards, but not once have we heard a concrete argument, from anyone, domestic or foreign, for why they should not be banned,” said Gia Volski, First Deputy Speaker of the Georgian Parliament.

Volski asked whether there had not been a sadistic regime, whether countless witnesses had not testified to how the country was run, and whether the sabotage against the country since 2012 had not been systematic.

“Were there not attempts to turn clashes into bloodshed and push a revolutionary scenario? And is it not the reality that certain political parties, so-called groupings, refuse to recognise state institutions and declare disobedience to the constitutional order, whether through actions, statements or calls to action? The constitutional hearings will begin soon, and more details will probably emerge. But pretending that nothing is happening, as if someone suddenly decided out of the blue to abolish parties, is neither right nor, still less, fair,” Volski said.

He said the crimes were real, and had been committed not against Georgian Dream but against the country.

“I can’t tell you who will remain on the opposition flank, who will emerge, or who might enter the political arena to talk about the development of the state, challenge us, and even oppose us bitterly in every way that political confrontation allows. But the fact is that the crime is real, and it has been committed not against Georgian Dream but against the country. This crime has taken concrete forms, actions and consequences, mostly linked to repeated attempts to stir up revolution. These processes did not start today, but since 2021 there has been an intensive attempt every year to bring about a revolution in the country,” Volski said.