Zurab Pololikashvili, the Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization, denied that the GD government’s decision to withdraw its support for his reelection bid was coordinated with him. Furthermore, Pololikashvili accused GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of ignoring his repeated attempts to contact him. The day before, the GD stated that Pololikashvili withdrew his candidacy at his own request.
Pololikashvili said that he had been trying to contact Kobakhidze for over three weeks without success. Formula TV, an opposition-leaning media outlet, released his written comment on May 14, shortly after the GD administration confirmed its support for the United Arab Emirates’ candidate for Secretary-General, instead of the Georgian candidate.
In his comment, Pololikashvili denied that the GD’s claim that the decision had been coordinated with him and called on Kobakhidze to explain what his candidacy “was traded for.” “I’m on a 12-hour flight. When I boarded the plane, that’s when I saw the decision made by the deep rats.” [apparent nod to the “deep state” rhetoric of the GD].
“I do not represent the deep state or the global war party – I am a Georgian, the Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization,” he added, according to Formula TV.
Speaking during an appearance on pro-government Imedi TV’s political talk show, Imedi LIVE – a program widely regarded as a key platform for GD messaging – Irakli Kobakhidze responded to Pololikashvili’s remarks. The GD leader said that it was “unfortunate” to see the kind of language used by the head of one of the UN agencies.
Kobakhidze dismissed Pololikashvili’s reference to the “deep state” as irrelevant. He said, “I don’t understand what the deep state has to do with this topic at all. But generally, it’s unfortunate.”
He claimed that support for Pololikashvili’s candidacy would be seen as “not particularly democratic.” He mentioned diplomatic pushback from partner countries as one of the factors: “Certain states began summoning our ambassadors, in a sort of diplomatic demarche, in connection with us nominating the same candidate for the third time within the UN system.” He added: “They told us that it would be an unprecedented case, because it’s not customary for the same person to be nominated more than twice for such leadership positions.”
He refused to go into further detail but claimed that Pololikashvili’s reaction only reaffirmed “the correctness” of the GD’s decision.
Speaking to journalists in Batumi on May 15, Kobakhidze elaborated that the ruling party’s decision not to support Pololikashvili’s candidacy was not related to backing the UAE or any other contender. He said that Pololikashvili’s released statement serves as an “indisputable proof” that the decision was “made absolutely without alternative.”
“If there hadn’t been this disrespectful approach, this attempt to hit [us] over the head and so on – everything would have been different,” Kobakhidze said.
He confirmed he had ignored Pololikashvili’s attempts to contact him, saying, “He attempted something that no longer deserved a response – he deserved the withdrawal of his candidacy. He opposed the interests of the state.” He went on to describe Pololikashvili’s actions as “a betrayal of the state.”
Pololikashvili was first elected as Secretary-General in 2018 and re-elected in January 2021 for a second term covering 2022–2025. Nominated by Georgia, he won 76% of the secret ballot during the 113th session of the UNWTO Executive Council, defeating Bahrain’s candidate, Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa.
The news was updated on May 15, 15:43, to include the further elaboration of Irakli Kobakhidze on Pololikashvili.
Formula TV announced that they will interview Zurab Pololikashvili on May 15. This news may be updated accordingly.
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