“When 300 people share one position and 1 person has a different one, that doesn’t mean you won something – it means you may have postponed something, caught your breath for a while,” – said Lasha Tughushi, head of the Liberal Academy, on PalitraNews’ program Day Newsroom, in response to statements made by Congressman Steve Cohen during the Helsinki Commission hearing that one person in the Senate “blocked” the adoption of the MEGOBARI Act, and that the bill apparently will not be passed.
According to Tughushi, there is bipartisan and broad consensus in both the U.S. Congress and Senate about what is happening in Georgia.
“The statements made at the Helsinki Commission hearing mean that every time, more and more, the so-called government’s authority is declining. This, of course, harms the country as a whole. Many people understand that the government does not reflect the will of the majority in this case, but nevertheless, in their view, the state is represented by the team that calls itself the government – whether good or bad. It is that political group that represents Georgia’s face, the very people referred to yesterday as the ‘Georgian nightmare.’ The Helsinki Commission is a very important body. Unfortunately, this is the dominant view in the West today, so it comes as no surprise. The problem is that the assessments keep getting worse. As for taking concrete steps toward Georgia – some steps have already been taken: the suspension of strategic cooperation, exclusion from many programs. If the Trump administration had not been involved in the process, these steps might not have been taken. The discussion you heard is part of the general attitude. If we’re talking about steps like sanctions under the MEGOBARI Act, as well as measures against specific individuals, naturally, if not today, then tomorrow, that will definitely happen. Policy does not change, and toward regimes – including Trump’s administration – the attitude is not favorable.”
Speaking about Cohen’s remarks on the MEGOBARI Act, Tughushi explained the procedure:
“When you want to pass such a bill under a fast-track procedure, absolute consensus is required. That risk was clear. But since the situation in the country is extraordinary, they took that risk. It didn’t work out, because one politician blocked the process. That outcome was predictable. But ultimately it means nothing – because when 300 people are on one side and 1 person is on the other, it doesn’t mean you won; it just means you delayed things for a short while. But overall, the attitude is what we heard in Congress – Republicans and Democrats alike said that the situation in Georgia is extraordinary. There will always be one or two people, a very small minority, often with marginal positions, who think differently. But policy is defined by the broader consensus – the unfortunate consensus that exists toward our country and toward the people who call themselves the government. If I were in their place, I could not be optimistic, because if not today, then tomorrow, they and the state itself will face very serious problems.”
Tughushi also assessed the speeches at the Helsinki Commission by Salome Zurabishvili and Tina Khidasheli, as well as Georgian Dream’s position that Georgia’s fifth president and former defense minister had traveled to the U.S. to harm national interests.
“What is happening in the country is well known. We live in the 21st century. It’s no secret that this party takes steps contrary to democracy and the rule of law, and is practically isolated. So, even if Tina Khidasheli and Salome Zurabishvili had not gone to the Helsinki Commission hearing, would anything have changed? Would Congress have stood up and applauded, saying: ‘What a wonderful democratic government we have in Georgia’? Of course not. Even they don’t believe it when they talk like that. There are still some people left in this country who believe them, who are fed these fairy tales, but everyone knows their true face. This is a political force that, step by step, is trying to distance the country from the Western path. It is impossible for the Speaker of Parliament to insult and slander the German ambassador on a daily basis. They know perfectly well what that means! And even if the government changes, restoring relations and bringing them back to normal from this point will be an extremely difficult task. Even an ideal government would struggle, because they have destroyed, spoiled, and muddied relations to such a degree, turning them into a swamp, that now the German government openly tells them: ‘You are lying.’” – Tughushi stated.
Lasha Tughushi: What is happening regarding the ‘MEGOBARI Act’ does not mean a victory for ‘Georgian Dream,’ it means a postponement of the adoption of the bill; If I were in their place, I would not be optimistic – if not today, then tomorrow, they will face serious problems
