Opposition criticism of Ivanishvili's projects leads to its own discrediting, PM Kobakhidze

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has defended the opening of a new dinosaur-themed park near the Tsitsinatela amusement park, accusing opposition groups of politicising charitable projects associated with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party. 

Kobakhidze said Ivanishvili had created and later transferred a number of public facilities to the state over the years.

He noted opposition parties have consistently criticised such initiatives despite what he described as their charitable nature.

Kobakhidze argued that these criticisms amount to political speculation and reflect negatively on those making them.

He said opposition groups ultimately fail to achieve their objectives through such criticism and instead damage their own credibility in the eyes of the public.

"This is not the first case," Kobakhidze said. "A number of such facilities have been created by Bidzina Ivanishvili and later transferred to the state."

The prime minister added that public reaction demonstrated that opposition criticism of such projects has not gained significant support and has instead contributed to what he described as the opposition's further discrediting.