Parliament Chairman Shalva Papuashvili Defends 'Foreign Agents' Law
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, May 30, 2024
Georgian Parliament Chairman Shalva Papuashvili tried to defend a newly adopted "Foreign Agents" law, stating that any foreigner questioning the law is questioning Georgian democracy. He compared such actions to Russian tactics in Ukraine.
According to Papuashvili, only the Georgian government, elected by its citizens, has the right to speak for the people. He criticized foreign officials for making statements about the will of the Georgian people, suggesting that such statements lack legitimacy.
"I have seen many statements where foreign politicians talk about what the Georgian people want, what the will of the Georgian people is. Do not believe any foreigner who speaks to you on behalf of the Georgian people. Because it is the most dishonest act to speak for the people of another country that has not given you legitimacy. On the contrary, ask a question of what is the intention of such a person who speaks on your behalf without legitimacy. They know neither the language, nor the culture, nor the history. By what right and legitimacy do they speak on behalf of the Georgian people, when on the other side stands the government elected by the Georgian people, which has the legitimacy granted by the people to speak precisely on behalf of the Georgian people?
This law was adopted on behalf of the Georgian people. Any foreigner who questions this, he questions democracy, and this is a Russian style, Russia is doing this to Ukraine when it says that the government does not actually represent the Ukrainian people. This is a Russian style. We have seen this kind of attitude towards our country when the Russian authorities spoke to us on behalf of the Georgian people and told us that the people were good and the government was bad. I call on everyone to think that it is not right to talk to the Georgian people in the Russian style," Papuashvili said.
