TBILISI, September 25 – Two party tops in the former ruling UNM demand that the European Union must only slap visa sanctions on their country’s political leaders, not its people.
This is the message chair Tina Bokuchava and deputy chair Levan Sanikidze brought with them as they toured the famously noisy European Parliament as well as for consultations with the European Commission, where they also met the top executive handling foreign relations, Kaja Kallas.
Georgia’s former ruling, now opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), underlined in a formal statement signed by the pair that ordinary Georgians must not be punished with suspension of the right to travel visa-free to the Schengen Area, which they have been able to enjoy since 2017.
Instead, the two argued, sanctions should be aimed at Ivanishvili, his associates, and what they describe as a loyal network of judges, propagandists, and security officials accused of political repression. Bokuchava said her party is pushing for “financial sanctions or the temporary suspension of visa-free travel only for targeted groups.”
Sanikidze added: “Visa suspension must not touch our four million citizens who fight for this country’s freedom and European future. Sanctions must be directed only at those who, on Ivanishvili’s orders, violate human rights every day.” He further noted that their talks also dealt with what the party calls ‘political prisoners’ as well as ‘Georgia’s deepening political crisis.’
Political circles in Tbilisi have been irked by the EU’s delayed verdict on the threat of withholding visa-free travel rights, as just a little over a week remains until local elections are to be held. The bloc also aired the visa-free suspension threat ahead of last year’s disputed parliamentary election, only to discard the idea once the election was over. Officials in Tbilisi have condemned the vague threats as meddling in the country’s internal democratic processes, likening it to Moscow’s behavior during the Soviet Union.
