Georgian Prime Minister Accuses Macron of "Lying"
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that the French president should prioritize Ukraine rather than comment on the issues concerning Georgia. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has labeled the claims made by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding Russian interference in Georgia's recent election as “lies.”
On Monday, Macron asserted that “Russia has increased its aggression and shifted the nature of its hostility toward Europe and other regions” by engaging in activities such as “destabilizing electoral processes and manipulating ballot boxes” in the October election in Georgia. However, he did not provide any evidence to support his assertion.
When journalists inquired about Macron’s comments on Tuesday, Kobakhidze responded, “I cannot comment on lies. I am commenting on the problem that everyone faces today, which is a devastated Ukraine.”
He further emphasized, “The French president should better follow the events in Ukraine, which has been sacrificed with the aim of destroying it.”
In the parliamentary election held on October 26, the ruling Georgian Dream party secured 53.93% of the vote, gaining 89 out of 150 seats in the legislature.
The results were acknowledged by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Pascal Allizard, the head of OSCE’s monitoring mission for the Georgian election, noted that despite “a divisive campaign atmosphere” and disparities in financial resources between the parties, “the engagement shown on election day – from the active voter participation, robust presence of citizen and party observers, and rich diversity of voices – gives the sign of a system that is still growing and evolving, with a democratic vitality under construction.”
Meanwhile, Georgia's four pro-EU opposition parties, which surpassed the 5% threshold, have alleged that the election was rigged and have refused to accept the results. Since the vote, Tbilisi has experienced a wave of protests, with some rallies escalating into violence; however, the intensity of the demonstrations has been decreasing in recent weeks.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Monday, Macron asserted that “Russia has increased its aggression and shifted the nature of its hostility toward Europe and other regions” by engaging in activities such as “destabilizing electoral processes and manipulating ballot boxes” in the October election in Georgia. However, he did not provide any evidence to support his assertion.
When journalists inquired about Macron’s comments on Tuesday, Kobakhidze responded, “I cannot comment on lies. I am commenting on the problem that everyone faces today, which is a devastated Ukraine.”
He further emphasized, “The French president should better follow the events in Ukraine, which has been sacrificed with the aim of destroying it.”
In the parliamentary election held on October 26, the ruling Georgian Dream party secured 53.93% of the vote, gaining 89 out of 150 seats in the legislature.
The results were acknowledged by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Pascal Allizard, the head of OSCE’s monitoring mission for the Georgian election, noted that despite “a divisive campaign atmosphere” and disparities in financial resources between the parties, “the engagement shown on election day – from the active voter participation, robust presence of citizen and party observers, and rich diversity of voices – gives the sign of a system that is still growing and evolving, with a democratic vitality under construction.”
Meanwhile, Georgia's four pro-EU opposition parties, which surpassed the 5% threshold, have alleged that the election was rigged and have refused to accept the results. Since the vote, Tbilisi has experienced a wave of protests, with some rallies escalating into violence; however, the intensity of the demonstrations has been decreasing in recent weeks.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
