“We have nothing to discuss with ‘Lelo,’ and they have nothing to discuss with us — let them talk to the Constitutional Court, and some of their members to the criminal court, where cases related to them are pending.” This is how Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili responded to the statement by “Lelo — Strong Georgia” expressing readiness to start political dialogue with the government.

According to Papuashvili, the problem is not the absence of political dialogue, but the fact that those demanding political dialogue are violators of the Constitution and criminals under criminal law.

He also stated today that the Georgian government has no intention of following radical groups in trading people, which is what they are engaged in, “while they themselves sit comfortably in offices and sacrifice people to prison.”

Papuashvili added that “the Georgian government is not going to trade in democracy either.”

“Radical groups do not have a problem with the Georgian government. Their problem is with the Constitution of Georgia. Therefore, if they want to talk about anything, they should talk about the Constitution and criminal law issues, which they have violated so abundantly. As for ‘Lelo,’ we have nothing to discuss with them, and they have nothing to discuss with us — let them talk to the Constitutional Court, and some of their members to the criminal court, where cases related to them are pending.

So the problem is not that political dialogue does not exist, but that those demanding political dialogue are violators of the Constitution and criminals under criminal law.

The parties passed a political verdict when, during the 2024 elections, they did not recognize the will of the Georgian people and turned themselves into weapons in the hands of foreign forces against their own homeland. There is nothing to discuss with them — the main problem is that today they are trading in people and democracy.

Since 2012, they have had one method: inciting people to commit crimes, sacrificing them to punishment, and then trading in those people. Earlier it was Mikheil Saakashvili among them, who was brought back and sacrificed to prison, otherwise he would have been sitting quietly in Ukraine. The same was the case with Melia, the same with Mzia Amaglobeli, and all other cases where they themselves incited people to commit crimes and then sacrificed them to prison. Including foreigners and ambassadors who sacrificed them, because they incited them: ‘Do not admit guilt, do not cooperate with justice!’ By doing so, they incited them so that there would be no plea agreement, no lenient sentence, and now they are trading in people. This is political trafficking, which today the radical opposition and some foreign political groups are engaged in. This is trading in people, which is a method they use every time. If you remember the Ugulava stories and then the discussions about whether someone would pardon him, whether there would be parole or not. First they lead people into crime, sacrifice them to prison, and then trade in the fate of those people.

In addition, since 2012 there has been continuous trading in democracy, when every time there is an attack on democracy and then, through foreign interference, ‘maybe concede something, maybe give some small concession, drag out the mandate, but maybe engage differently,’ and so on. This is trading in democracy. Neither trading in people nor trading in democracy is European or any civilized behavior,” Papuashvili stated.

For information: “Lelo — Strong Georgia” made a statement according to which it is necessary to overcome mutual confrontation and start responsible political negotiations between “Georgian Dream” and opposition parties. As “Lelo” General Secretary Irakli Kupradze stated yesterday at a press conference held together with party members, a peaceful, democratic, and state-oriented way out of the political crisis is an agreement on holding new, free, and fair parliamentary elections. According to him, in parallel, in order to reduce political tension in the country, it is necessary to release political prisoners.