“Faced their own crime.” Georgia responded to the indignation of the MFA of Ukraine regarding pre-election banners with war footage

The Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Shalva Papuashvili responded to the indignation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine that the ruling party "Georgian Dream" used images of Ukrainian cities destroyed by Russian troops for its election campaign.

He stated that the "Georgian Dream" campaign gained such resonance because Ukrainian officials "faced their own crime", as they supposedly "entangled" Georgia in the scenario depicted on these banners, reports SOVA.

As Papuashvili says, everyone should look at these banners, "especially those who pushed Georgia to the scenario depicted on the banners."

“These were our most important banners and everyone should look at these pictures, especially those who pushed this country to the scenario we see on these banners. We were inspired to change the bright reality and security that we have today to the reality that exists today in Ukraine," said Papuashvili.

He added that similar pictures were seen not only in Ukraine — the Georgian people also "know well what the destroyed school, road and bridge mean."

He recalled the actions organized by the opposition in February and March 2022. According to him, the demonstrators demanded to send volunteers from Georgia to the war in Ukraine, and "foreign politicians were behind this."

"The Prime Minister of Ukraine publicly called on the Georgian people: ʼGo to the parliament building and ask your government to send volunteers to the war.ʼ Today, the Ukrainian authorities say: ʼDonʼt involve our war in your political debatesʼ, so why did they intervene at the time?" Papuashvili emphasized.

He also mentioned how, at the beginning of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Georgia was asked to join EU sanctions against the Russian Federation and close its skies and borders. He stated that in this way Georgia "tried to kick into the war."

What preceded

On September 26, the ruling party "Georgian Dream" published a campaign video in which it used, in particular, images of the drama theater in Mariupol, schools, residential areas, churches, and stadiums destroyed by the war.

In the video, footage of the aftermath of the bombings in Ukraine is juxtaposed with fountains and new buses in Georgian cities. Shots with Ukraine are accompanied by the inscription "Say no to war", and shots of Georgian cities are accompanied by the inscription "Choose to be in peace."

Also, photos of billboards with the same images spread in social networks.

The pre-election campaign of the party was sharply criticized by the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili.

"I have never seen anything so shameful, so insulting to our culture, traditions, history and faith... What a nonsense it is to hang a poster made in the KGB forges for your people without dignity and shame," she said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also condemned the political advertising of "Georgian Dream".

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine condemns and considers inadmissible the use in political advertising of images of the terrible consequences of Russiaʼs merciless war against Ukraine, the suffering and blood of thousands of innocent people, the destruction of church shrines and the cultural heritage of humanity," the message reads.

The Ministry called on the Government of Georgia, the ruling party "Georgian Dream" and all interested parties to refrain from using the topic of aggressive war against Ukraine and its citizens in the internal political struggle in Georgia.

• Parliamentary elections in Georgia will be held at the end of October. For the first time, they will be held without a majority system, which increases the oppositionʼs chances of success.

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