**Opposition Party Member Appointed to Defense Committee**
Viktor Japaridze, a member of the pseudo-opposition party People’s Power, has been appointed as Deputy Chair of the Defense and Security Committee in the Georgian parliament.
Japaridze was nominated by his party and unanimously supported by committee members. The appointment comes during a deepening political crisis in the country, with 49 opposition MPs suspended from the parliament.
**New Plans for Security Legislation**
During the meeting, the committee’s chair, Aleksandre Tabatadze, presented a draft action plan for 2025. The plan includes discussions on security legislation, oversight visits to military bases, and public awareness campaigns on NATO integration.
The Deputy Defense Minister, Grigol Giorgadze, also introduced an administrative agreement on classified information exchange between Georgia and NATO. The committee positively assessed the document and submitted it for ratification.
**Japaridze’s Past Controversies**
Japaridze has been a vocal anti-western politician associated with the GD party. He acquired a majority stake in anti-western media outlet POSTV in 2022 and was involved in controversies surrounding the Foreign Agents bill.
In May 2024, Japaridze sparked public ridicule after chasing a citizen who called him a “slave”. The citizen was later accused of obstructing journalist Natia Beridze’s activities.
**GD’s Isolated Position**
The Georgian Dream party sits virtually alone in parliament. In an attempt to create a semblance of opposition, three MPs broke away from the GD to form a new pseudo-opposition group called the European Socialists.
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