On October 20, Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of Georgian Dream, talked about the selection procedure for the Public Defender. He asserted that the party's decision to back the "Ombudsman of the United National Movement (UNM)," Nino Lomjaria, in 2017 was motivated by circumstances, and he vowed not to behave in the same manner this time.

Although Chairperson Kobakhidze stated that circumstances that drove us in that direction were to blame for the Georgian Dream's decision to back Lomjaria's candidacy in 2017, he also stated that they have no plans to transfer the Office of the Public Defender to the United National Movement.

According to Kobakhidze, the likelihood that one of the 12 recommendations from the European Commission will be implemented is fifty-fifty due to the possibility that the United National Movement would attempt to sabotage the process of choosing the next Public Defender of Georgia. "This point cannot be satisfied if the opposition does not back the nominees. We need 90 votes to make this point," he continued.

Apart from wanting to undermine EU proposals, the head of the ruling party further asserted that UNM has nothing to lose; on the contrary, if they reject all the applicants, then the office stays as is, that is, under the established order of the United National Movement.

"If the Parliament is unable to choose a Public Defender, the deputies and active United National Movement members now serving in the Public Defender's Office will continue to serve in those capacities. In other words, they continue to have complete authority over the Public Defender's Office," MP Kobakhidze said.

"A person who has visited just one prisoner in five years, and that prisoner is Mikheil Saakashvili, cannot be the public defender," said Kobakhidze in a continuation of his criticism of the incumbent Public Defender Lomjaria. The Public Defender's Office visited military bases, hospitals, mental facilities, penitentiaries, and other institutions often.

"We truly do not need a public defender like that anymore since political bias is obvious. Under no circumstances would we pick such a Public Defender," he insisted.

Kobakhidze argued, "The five years of Lomjaria's leadership hurt the Public Defender's Office since she was not interested in overseeing the preservation of human rights but in the pursuit of political goals, which is why the Georgian Dream wanted to take care of the Public Defender's office." Additionally, he charged Lomjaria with meddling in international affairs and said, "Naturally, we will not let such a thing."

When asked if the Georgian Dream party had selected a candidate to back, MP Kobakhidze said that party deliberations had not yet begun, but he added that they do not have any worries over the nomination of the Public Defender. "Our guiding premise is that the Public Defender must diligently carry out their duty, known as the surveillance of human rights. This is its constitutional duty," the Speaker continued.

According to MP Kobakhidze, the new Public Defender shall not be politically biased. "These are objective needs; they are not our demands," he added.

Read also:

Irakli Kobakhidze: "Georgian Dream is Actively Working to Fulfill EU's 12 Recommendations"

Irakli Kobakhidze Accuses the United National Movement of Having Xenophobic Attitudes toward Russian Citizens