UK MP Identifies Georgian Dream as Pro-Putin Group in Parliament
During debates on "Political and Security Situation in Georgia" in the UK Parliament on April 27, Adam Holloway, a member of the UK Parliament, criticized Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party as a pro-Putin, pro-Russian group whose leadership risks Georgia becoming a Russian puppet in this critical area for global security.
Adam Holloway emphasized that Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the Georgian Dream, exercises great control over Georgia's institutions, he is an oligarch who reportedly made his money from Russian dealings, and allegedly has used his immense wealth to buy votes and loyalists throughout the Georgian government. "Georgian Dream is an organization sympathetic to and increasingly controlled by Russian authorities, all while claiming to be Western and democratic," he said. The British legislator spent a lot of time discussing the rampant corruption in Georgia's political system, which was brought to light by the US State Department's recent move to sanction four Georgian judges. In addition, he discussed Mikheil Saakashvili's condition, stating that the former president is currently dying in the hospital and noted that independent physicians have verified the presence of heavy metal toxicity in his blood.
He emphasized that despite the strong pro-European sentiment of the Georgian people, the administration intentionally sabotages the fulfillment of EU entry criteria despite claiming to be pro-European and friendly to the West. "While Georgian citizens have enlisted in large numbers to fight against the Russian invasion, the Georgian government has been criticized for sabotaging support for the Ukrainian war effort," he added. The Georgian government's increased commerce with Russia, which he claimed undermines Western sanctions on Moscow and draws Tbilisi closer to Moscow, was also criticized by Holloway.
To lead a diplomatic campaign for Georgia to return to democratic norms and to denounce the inhumane and extrajudicial treatment of former President Saakashvili," the official emphasized. He said, "We must also make sure that Georgia's next elections, scheduled for 2024, are held on time and are under the watchful eye of neutral observers."
"If the West stalls on NATO integration for Georgia, it will only play into the long-term ambitions of Russia," a UK MP said in reference to the overwhelming support of the Georgian people for membership in the alliance. He mentioned abandoning Georgia once before, recalling how the British Army had been stationed in Georgia during its early 20th-century independence but had withdrawn in 1920, leaving Georgia vulnerable to the 11th Russian Army assault. Holloway emphasized that Georgia stood alongside us and spilled blood in support of our causes and specifically mentioned Georgia's major contribution to NATO forces in Afghanistan. He said: "The Georgian people remember that abandonment, and we must not make the same mistakes today."