“When you speak on behalf of society, speak in your own name. Do not hide behind society and do not try to present it as if society wants something. If you are interested, speak in your own name,” Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said, addressing Shalva Kereselidze, Chair of the “For Georgia” faction. Kereselidze is the initiator of a proposal to establish a temporary investigative commission to examine the legality of law enforcement actions in dispersing protests and the lawfulness of the use of special means during the protest rallies of November–December 2024.

Papuashvili emphasized that raising the issue of establishing a temporary investigative commission is the right of a parliamentary faction, and that they are free to bring this initiative to a plenary session.

“Mr. Shalva, when you speak on behalf of society, speak in your own name. Do not hide behind society and do not try to make it appear as if society wants something. If you are interested, speak in your own name. Let me remind you that in 2024, during the parliamentary elections, your party received 160,000 votes — 7.5%. This year, in the local self-government elections, you received 50,000 votes — one-third of what you had previously received. So how much you can speak on behalf of society has already been shown by your voters because of your positions. Therefore, there is no need to speak on behalf of society. You are a faction, a subject that has the right to raise the issue of establishing an investigative commission.

As for the issue of trust or lack of trust, an investigation was conducted and the relevant results were made public. The investigation was carried out quickly and very transparently. Many people were questioned and conclusions were drawn. The main goal of the BBC’s defamatory film was to produce a ‘headline’ suggesting that chemical weapons from the era of World War I were used in Georgia — as if Georgia were the initiator of World War I or a major participant in it, or as if chemical weapons were our invention. This slander has been exposed, and no one has any doubts about it.

Secondly, the Prime Minister has stated: here is the investigation and its results. If relevant international institutions have questions, the authorities are ready to provide sufficient information. Therefore, the investigation was open and transparent. As for the issue of establishing an investigative commission, it is your right to raise it and bring it to tomorrow’s plenary session,” Papuashvili said.