At the moment, there is no institution in Georgia that is independent of the ruling party. All institutions: the government, the parliament, all courts, the central bank, the central election commission are headed by people appointed by the ruling party and staffed by people acceptable to the ruling party, - the President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, stated in her speech to the Italian Parliament.

“Before the elections, the de facto ruler, Mr. Ivanishvili, warned the opposition political parties that they would be dissolved, arrested and abolished after the elections. This is the plan for political parties. Civil society, NGOs, including those that operate for humanitarian purposes, are also under the same threat, because everyone who is financed from outside the country falls under the Russian law that is in force and will gradually be implemented against everyone. The President, who is the last independent institution, is speaking before you,” the President noted.

According to him, Georgia, a state that was a model of democratic reforms in the region, a state that was very close to the European door, is now turning in the opposite direction.

“They had a parody of the elections of a new president. There was only one name on the ballot paper and only one party participated in this parody. So we are in a situation where we do not have any legitimate institutions. All institutions are in the hands of a single party and this party is in the hands of one person and this one person is very much connected to Russia by choice or by some force, we do not know, but the fact is that Georgia, a state that was a model of democratic reforms in the region, a state that was very close to the European door, is now turning in the opposite direction,” the President noted.