2020-12-24
If the opposition enters the Parliament, it will be a responsible step toward the country's democratic development, the empowerment of the state, and further democratization, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia replied to journalists' question about the opposition's entry into the Parliament.
According to the Head of Government, the ruling team will be ready even if the opposition refuses to enter the Parliament.
"I hope they will. And if they do, it will be a responsible step toward the country's democratic development, the empowerment of the state, and further democratization. But in case they do not, we will be ready for that scenario, too," Giorgi Gakharia said.
The Head of Government elaborated on Toward Building a European State, the Government's program which also won a vote of confidence in Parliament.
"As you know, we live in extraordinary times. And we all gradually understand that COVID-19 as a pandemic is not a problem that can be solved in a day, a month, or even a year. This problem is staying with us for a long time. The COVID pandemic-related economic crisis has turned into a structural economic crisis in many countries, therefore not just Georgia, similar to many other countries, cannot deal with it on its own, which is why the economy is the most important component of the four under the Government's program. The major economic task is to keep jobs and macroeconomic stability in order to keep resources for the country's rapid post-pandemic recovery. Numerous actual reforms are planned in the tax direction, for enhancing fiscal efficiency, management of state-owned companies, and others. The second component is the social direction bringing together healthcare, social issues proper, and human resource management, including education. The third, equally important component is foreign policy, security, and occupation, and also the law enforcement system. And the fourth component, one I personally consider to be the most important-and I believe it is equally important to the country-is the governance system. We see a sizeable attempt to create a political crisis in a parliamentary democracy today. That is why highly professional, honest, and politically neutral civil servants are the backbone of the country's further development. When irresponsible politicians place their narrow partisan interests above the state and national interests, civil servants must be politically neutral, highly qualified, and honest in that they must continue caring for human beings and citizens," the Prime Minister said.
According to Giorgi Gakharia, the absence of the opposition from the parliamentary hall is a problem, and it is not his problem and discomfort, but one plaguing the country.
"Of course, the absence of the opposition from the parliamentary hall is a problem, and it is not something making me feel uncomfortable, but one plaguing the country. It is a medium-term problem for the country, and it undermines the process of decision-making. Without healthy, or even unhealthy, opposition it will be difficult to make consensual decisions. That is the ABCs of the democratic process," the Prime Minister said.
According to him, to make proportional representation work in the country, negotiations were held for an entire year between the opposition, international partners, and the ruling force.
"For a year, the opposition, our international partners, and we the ruling force were engaged in extensive negotiations to make proportional representation work in the country. Let's agree that Georgian Dream is the first in Georgia's political history to have taken this step, and the Constitution now prescribes proportional elections in 2024. What happened next? We held elections recognized by all international organizations as largely democratic. Next, after our citizens, about 2 million of them, voted despite the pandemic, including for 8 opposition parties. The opposition has 60 seats for the first time in Georgian history. And rejecting this achievement is a step toward delegitimizing the state and many state institutions, including the Parliament, the Interior Ministry, Police, and Armed Forces. At the same time, there are poorly substantiates call for a revolution while the country, together with our citizens, is fighting against global crisis processes. Georgian citizens have done a better job than politicians in fully understanding the challenges facing the country-by going to polling station and distributing seats so that no critically important decision in the country, one that requires a certain number of votes, can be decided without the opposition's involvement," the Prime Minister said.
"Dialogue is not something prospective. It is our duty mandated to us by Georgian citizens," Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia responded to journalists' question on resources for dialogue with the opposition.
According to the Head of Government, the ruling team, keenly aware of this duty, is ready for dialogue.
"I may like some opposition members more than others, or I may not like them at all because I cannot share their values, but it is not about my preferences, is it? Georgian citizens want these people in Parliament, and they also mandated me to put up with them and, hypothetically, work with them, because this responsibility must be shared by all. Dialogue is a duty, and we share this responsibility, and act accordingly, and we will always be ready for dialogue," the Prime Minister stated.
According to Giorgi Gakharia, it is futile to hope that someone will fold under pressure if they refuse to enter the Parliament and also undermine dialogue.
"A single-party parliament is a problem for any country, including developed democracies. It is immoral to ask if we can withstand it. It is our duty to withstand it, and it is futile to hope that someone will fold under the pressure of challenge if they refuse to enter the Parliament and also undermine dialogue," Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia responded to a question about the opposition's refusal to enter the Parliament.
According to the Head of Government, each representative of the authorities, MPs, and all citizens understand that, given the economic challenges and the current opposition, the authorities are obligated to assume a double duty.
"We must double our efforts, answer to and pay attention twice as many people. This is not for me or for them to decide. This is a command coming from Georgian citizens, and everyone must assume this responsibility. When they talk about some outlandish scenarios, hoping that these outlandish scenarios will culminate in a revolution, they are wrong. Their hopes are groundless. Georgian citizens, 2 million of them, those who went to polling stations did not vote just for us and the opposition. They voted for the country's politics made in Parliament, not in the streets, and this country must once and for all forget-and I am sure it already has forgotten-street politics. Better still, the less responsibility the opposition exhibits, the more severe the response of the voter will be in the next elections," Giorgi Gakharia said.
According to the Prime Minister, the ruling team takes into account recommendations from strategic partners, who urge the opposition to make politics in Parliament, not in the streets.
"We do what our friends, our strategic partners, urge us to do, and they also urge the opposition to do something very simple, to make politics in Parliament, not in the streets. And since voters have voted for you and thus placed responsibility on you, use the Parliament's podium, not the street, to achieve this goal," Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia told the press.
According to him, the ruling team has a healthy approach to taking in criticism from strategic partners.
"We have a healthy approach to listening and taking in criticism from our friends. And this is the key difference. When flaws are in brought up, we always listen to our strategic partners, and we have taken such dramatic steps to reform the electoral system, that US Ambassador Degnan, together with our partners and opposition, admitted that the list of reforms agreed between us and the opposition was necessary and would improve the electoral system dramatically. As soon we and our strategic partners saw questions arising around the constitutional amendments mentioned by you, we referred them to the Venice Commission. What else, if not this, is constructive partnership and dialogue? But now look at the opposite side. While we were doing what our friends, our strategic partners, urged us to do, the opposition refuses to do what they urge it to do, a simple thing: make politics in Parliament, not in the streets. And since your voters have voted for you and thus placed responsibility on you, use the Parliament's podium, not the street, to achieve this goal," Giorgi Gakharia stated.
No separate Ministry of Sports will be established. Sports will remain within the purview of the Ministry of Education, or it will form one institution together with a separate Ministry of Culture, the Prime Minister replied to a question about a separate Ministry of Culture and plans to a possible Ministry of Sports. According to the Head of Government, the Ministry of Culture is necessary to develop and further commercialize culture.
"We are human beings. We make mistakes, but the point is to correct our mistakes. Today, 2 years later, especially in our difficult situation, representatives of culture really need a separate Ministry. And there is also the fact that our culture and cultural heritage is invaluable, and we must understand that it takes a separate Ministry to develop and further commercialize culture. And that requires an individual approach. Unfortunately, we are still a poor country, and our social duty to representatives of culture obligates us to pay greater attention to them. We consulted representatives of culture and made this decision. As for sports, we discussed this issue today, and it is a debatable issue for several reasons. Firstly, mass sports, as the biggest challenge facing the country, is a lot closer to the Ministry of Education, because the forefront of mass sports is school is school education. Secondly, looking at high professional results in sports, the structure here is slightly different, and state-funded federations operate all over the board, with enhanced decision-making rights and autonomies. All that makes the two quite different from each other. Undoubtedly, the Ministry of Culture will operate separately. Sports will remain within the purview of the Ministry of Education, or it will form one institution together with a separate Ministry of Culture. No separate Ministry of Sports will be established," the Prime Minister said.
According to the Head of Government, Georgian political culture is unfolding before our very eyes.
"Do you think it is really correct for the winning party to make up such things to lure into Parliament the opposition, for which our citizens have voted? In reality, it stands for forging, polishing Georgia's democratic process. Georgian political culture is unfolding. Of course, it must be a European-standard Western political culture, but with characteristic features of our reality, and this is what is unfolding right before our eyes. It often looks unattractive, but there is nothing we can do about it," Giorgi Gakharia said.
According to him, despite the unhealthy political process, the authorities taken on responsibility over the everyday life of each citizen, their health, jobs, and economic conditions, and they have no one else to blame.
"In the previous Parliament also, the opposition often resorted to boycotting without bothering themselves much with legislative work. But when it came to media activity, I always, every time I visited the Parliament, had the pleasure of various, sometimes quite heated, discussions with the opposition," the Prime Minister said.
According to the Head of Government, this is a political process, and this is how politics are made in parliamentary democracies.
"What is a parliamentary democracy with proportional representation, a parliamentary republic with proportional representation? It means that, in this or next cycle, it will be absolutely possible to form a coalition government. How, then, do you see a coalition government in which one political force is boycotting and walking away? This is nothing but political immaturity. It is a difficult process, indeed; a hard process of a democratic culture in the making. And we must go through that, too. And that is why I say ‘I hope.' And this is what I really think. Some fear the responsibility, others still cannot find their bearings, unable to fathom the political process, and some find it hard overcoming their own ego. Consequently, we have what we have. My and our share of responsibility, despite the unhealthy political process, is for the everyday lives, health, jobs, and social conditions of our citizens, and we cannot hold anyone else responsible. On the contrary, we say openly that it is our political responsibility, even though we may hope that someone will enter [the Parliament]. But regardless whether they will enter or not, nobody will hold them responsible. We are to be held responsible, and we are fully aware of this responsibility," the Prime Minister said.
Giorgi Gakharia also answered questions about the robbery of a Zugdidi branch of Bank of Georgia. According to him, he has instructed the Interior Ministry against spilling citizens' blood, an absolutely correct and legitimate instruction.
"I instructed the Interior Ministry against spilling citizens' blood. It is my duty, of course, and that of the Interior Ministry. In any case, punishment must inevitably follow. Trust me, the Interior Ministry will handle this task. And if you hope to plant discord between me and the Interior Minister by asking these questions, you are mistaken. My instructions back then were absolutely correct and legitimate, that the blood of our citizens could not be shed under any circumstances. At the same time, punishment must be inevitable, and it will be so very soon," Giorgi Gakharia emphasized.
Press Service of the Government Administration