There should be no need for a plebiscite, but if we are faced with such a choice, of course, we would prefer to hold on to our traditions and family values rather than hold on to visas, stated Dimitri Khundadze, Chairman of the “People’s Power” party and a member of parliament. He was commenting on the initiative of “United Neutral Georgia,” which calls on the authorities to hold a plebiscite on the issue of European integration alongside local elections.
According to Dimitri Khundadze, LGBT propaganda should not be the country’s calling card, and transparency should not be replaced with opacity.
“Practically, the support for the policies of the ruling team, as expressed by the public through election results, is equivalent to a plebiscite. The ruling team defends the country’s traditions, family values, and the rights of young people, and this has already been reflected in the legislative framework. The fact that transparency is indeed preferable to opacity, and that there is criticism from the West about this, is not appreciated by the public. If the public supported this, they would have tried in all previous elections, and in these elections as well, to express results not in favor of the ruling team but against it. We hope that these unjust, incorrect, and unpartner-like relations in the West will gradually change because the approach among Western voters themselves is already different.
From this perspective, I believe the need for a plebiscite should not arise, but if we are faced with such a choice, of course, we would prefer to preserve our traditions and family values, ensure that LGBT propaganda does not become the country’s calling card, and not replace transparency with opacity. Georgian politics should not be shaped by externally funded tasks and money brought from abroad. All of this would be the basis for Georgia to lose its Georgian identity and sovereignty,” Khundadze stated.
He also commented on the potential suspension of visa-free travel for Georgia, stating that it is a form of blackmail aimed at pressuring the Georgian electorate.
“Blackmail with visa liberalization is a tool to exert pressure on the Georgian electorate. Today’s opposition is a tool of Brussels’ liberals to pressure Georgia. Blackmail with visa liberalization is a tool to exert pressure on the Georgian electorate. Of course, Georgia and the Georgian people will not yield to this. I also hope that this is merely pre-election blackmail and that such a decision, as threatened by the European Union, will not actually be made. This hope is supported by ongoing processes and the fact that the decision-making timeline has been postponed to after the elections. I believe Georgian society will remain steadfast. They will not fully exploit this blackmail, as it would not be acceptable for the West either, based on their own interests, to carry out what they are threatening,” Khundadze stated.
As he noted, the “Transparency Law” was adopted in Georgia because Western countries also benefit from such laws. According to Dimitri Khundadze, “certain externally funded groups should not shape domestic politics based on external interests.”
Dimitri Khundadze: There should be no need for a plebiscite, but if we are faced with such a choice, of course, we would prefer to hold on to our traditions and family values rather than hold on to visas
