Speaker of Georgian parliament reacts to Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's call not to exploit topic of war in election campaign

Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, has responded to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's statement criticising the use of images of destroyed Ukrainian cities and monuments on election banners of Georgia's ruling party, Georgian Dream.

Source: Georgian news outlet SOVA, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Papuashvili is posing a question to Kyiv, claiming that at the onset of Russian aggression in Ukraine, Ukrainian officials had been attempting to "drag" Georgia into this "scenario".

The speaker remarked that the Georgian Dream election banners caused such a stir because they prompted one to "look one’s own crime in the eye". According to Papuashvili, everyone should look at the banners, especially those who pushed Georgia towards the scenario depicted on them.

"These are the most important banners we have, and everyone should look at these photos, especially those who pushed this country towards the scenario we see on these banners. We were inspired to change the colourful reality and security that we have today to the reality that we have in Ukraine today.

We have seen similar pictures not only in Ukraine but also in Georgia. The Georgian people know very well what a destroyed school, road and bridge mean. Who called us to this war?" Papuashvili wondered.

He also accused the opposition of attempting to drag Georgia into the war.

"The Ukrainian prime minister publicly urged the Georgian people to gather at the parliament building and call on their government to send volunteers to the war. Today, when the Ukrainian government says, 'Don't drag our war into your political debates,' why did they interfere in the past?" the speaker questioned, also citing calls for Georgia to join EU sanctions against Russia as further examples of involvement in the war.

Background: 

• Earlier, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry strongly urged the Georgian authorities not to exploit the topic of the Russo-Ukrainian war in their election campaign.
• Additionally, the Foreign Ministry urged those "willing to reveal the truth" to recognise that the supply of power and gas in the liberated city of Kherson – despite being constantly under fire and facing systematic targeting of infrastructure by Russian forces – is currently more stable than in the everyday peaceful life of Tbilisi.
• This remark is clearly a reaction to the actions of Georgia's ruling party, Georgian Dream, which produced banners with photos of the destruction caused by Russia in Ukraine and, in contrast, "normal life" in Georgia as part of its election campaign. In addition, Georgia's Prime Minister Kobakhidze claimed that the banners "exposed the truth" about the war in Ukraine.
• "Ukraine once again calls on the Government of Georgia to refrain from involving our state and citizens of Ukraine in the internal political processes of Georgia, as well as from fooling around with the blood and suffering of the Ukrainian people. We hope that the parliamentary elections in Georgia will be held in a peaceful and democratic manner, and the Georgian people will continue the strategic course of joining the EU and NATO," the Foreign Ministry concluded.

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