“Debates are meant for people who have opposing opinions but at the same time care about the better future of the country, not for those who have committed crimes and today try to justify why they cannot participate in debates,” said Gia Volski, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, speaking to journalists.

According to him, debates are necessary and should begin sooner or later, because spending huge amounts of money to divide society is a form of subversion.

“The excuse ‘we won’t sit for debates’ is fabricated. If they were to sit and talk, what would they discuss? How they ruined the country when they had the reins of power, what legacy they left, how they pushed young people into a situation where they opposed the law, and where constant instability became their profession? What would they discuss - sectoral development, foreign relations, domestic policy? These are people opposed to the country who claim they won’t participate in debates and set conditions. The situation is dire, and we propose debates so that society can draw conclusions. Debates are necessary and should start sooner or later, because the idea of dividing society and spending vast sums for this is a form of subversion - a subversion against Georgia. Those who committed evil, for whom committing evil became a profession, justify themselves by saying, ‘why should we talk to the regime?’ Meanwhile, they themselves are a clan of perpetrators, a conspiratorial group against Georgia. They have nothing to discuss and invent reasons. Debate is meant for people with opposing views who care about the country’s better future, not for those who have committed crimes and today justify why they cannot participate. Their absurd narrative is that they are democracy’s defenders and don’t want to talk to the ‘regime.’ The only reason debates were halted was that debates did not exist - it was a toxic environment where people shouted at each other, and whoever had the louder voice thought their propaganda would influence society more. That is why it stopped. When we talk about reopening debates, we do not mean returning to that same toxic environment. The strategic plan was to create a toxic environment, which they achieved at that time. We will make a statement on debates in the near future, but we do not mean returning to that toxic environment. The only reason they are not participating in debates is that these are people whose hands are stained with blood and who continue to think in terms of this blood; they cannot sit in debates,” Volski stated.