The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament delivered the Report on Activity of the Parliament for 2023 and the Action Plan for 2024 at the plenary session pursuant to Article 19 of the Rules of Procedure.

Upon reporting on 2023, Shalva Papuashvili summed up the processes unfolded in the current convocation of the Parliament, which, per his estimation, appeared loaded with political and historical events.

As he underlined, Georgia and the Georgian Government encountered sundry acute challenges to be addressed, including the pandemic, the threats deriving from the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and the radicalization of the opposition.

Papuashvili, in his speech, accentuated the legislative, oversight and other types of activity of the Parliament and introduced various statistical data about the parliamentary activity. According to him, as a result of the changes envisaged under the Rules of Procedure, the Parliament has more distinctly outlined its imperative function – oversight activity.

The Speaker noted that the Georgian Parliament fulfilled a historical mission when assuming the role of a flagship among the national institutions in view of the obtaining of the EU candidate status.

“At the same time, the saga of obtaining the EU candidate status was the sand grain, which evidently revealed a whole political milieu of the country, namely, all the parties – foes and friends – clearly envisioned that the opposition was ungrudging in applying all political instruments available to them, including disinformation and radicalization to, through declining the state institutions, take hold of the authorities with illegal methods.

Disinformation became the primary mechanism for boosting polarization in the Georgian political spectrum, the decline of the state institutions and prejudice to the foreign political principles of the country during three years.

The part of the opposition, for almost four years, has been busy with manifesting radicalism directed against the Constitution, democratically elected Government and national legitimate institutions. It is appalling, that the institution most responsible for the protection of the Constitution, national interests and the institutions, achievement of the national accord and the unification of the country appeared to be involved in the disgraceful tumult of radicalization.

Two weeks ago, we heard Mme. Salome Zourabichvili, reporting to the Parliament from this very podium; it was the speech, that entailed the emotions of frustration and disappointment in us once again. Instead of the speech oriented to the national interests, we witnessed yet another attempt of political revenge, which further declined the value and name of the institution of the President of the country”.

According to Speaker Papuashvili, 2024 is going to be the year of the immense challenges.

“First of all, we have the elections ahead. And all the responsible parties, citizens and allies of our country – international partners – shall spire for the elections to be held in a peaceful and fair manner, which requires the unification of all our powers. It is highly vital for the Georgian democracy to cast the encouragement of radicalization aside, leaving it in the past and ensuring that the legitimacy of the authorities elected through healthy competition between the responsible political forces is unquestionably affirmed. We have taken huge steps on this path – we undertook the electoral legislation reform, which practically excluded any speculations about fraudulent elections. I would like to particularly accentuate the electronic electoral systems, which we apply to the forthcoming elections on such a wide scale for the first time”, - said Shalva Papuashvili.

According to him, 2024 shall as well become the year of the EU and NATO approximation.

“NATO shall preferably take the EU as a model and offer clarified criteria for the membership to our country, the fulfillment of which will further approximate our country to the North-Atlantic Alliance as was the case with the EU. And finally, I would like to offer the cooperation. Georgia is a homeland that we share. Despite that the people support the “Georgian Dream”, it shall not mean that the victory will belong to the “Georgian Dream” only. Thus, I appeal to you to join us in making 2024, not the year of radicalization and confrontation but the year of the democratic parliamentary elections, addressing geopolitical challenges, unifying the country and approximation with the EU and NATO. This is exactly the principal interest of our population, and the imperative interest of our common homeland – Georgia”.