PM Comments on Interior Minister's 'Destabilization' Allegations Against UNM
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 8 Apr.'14 / 23:53
PM Irakli Garibashvili said on Tuesday that "no one will dare to stir destabilization" in Georgia while the GD coalition is in the government.
He made the remarks while commenting on Interior Minister Alexander Tchikaidze's newspaper interview in which he alleged the UNM opposition party wants to "destabilize" the country with the goal "to overthrow state institutions."
Asked based on what kind of specific information such allegation was voiced by the Interior Minister, Garibashvili told journalists: "It would not be correct if I start speaking about details of what kind of information is available. The Interior Ministry has spoken about it and it would be better if he explains it."
"I do not think there was anything alarming; the [Interior] Minister spoke about those potential threats which may exist in the country and about those unachievable desires, which some abnormal persons may have," PM Garibashvili said.
The UNM parliamentary minority group, which has dismissed the allegations as "nonsense", "very unserious" and "delirium", said it plans to summon the Interior Minister in the Parliament.
Garibashvili also said: "I want to calm everyone down and to say with full responsibility that no one will dare to stir destabilization in this country while we are in the government; if anyone has any such desire or attempt, they will be strictly punished."
There were mixed reactions in the GD parliamentary majority group to Interior Minister's allegations.
MP Gia Volski, who chairs Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party's parliamentary faction – the largest faction within the GD majority group, said that the Interior Minister would not have made such statement without having information backing these allegations; he said he's not aware of specifics.
"Nothing is ruled out from them [UNM]," MP Volski told Imedi TV's political talk show late on April 8. "Of course I believe in what the Interior Minister says."
But another lawmaker from the GD parliamentary majority group, Tina Khidasheli of the Republican Party, told Rustavi 2 TV's political talk show late on April 8 that she would advise the Interior Minister not to make such statements.
Asked whether she deems such allegations serious, MP Khidasheli responded: "No I do not deem it serious."
She said there is no political force in the country capable of staging such destabilization. She said that even if one hypothetically assumes that such a threat exists, the Interior Minister in such case should be acting, instead of speaking.
"It shows government's weakness when the Interior Minister makes statements of this kind," Khidasheli said.