ALDE has still not distanced itself from the decision of its member, the Lelo party, to continue party ties and cooperation with a terrorist — Shalva Papuashvili

"ALDE has still not distanced itself from the decision of its member, the Lelo party, to continue party ties and cooperation with a terrorist," writes the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili.

As Papuashvili notes, ALDE has effectively declared itself an enabler and protector of terrorism, a fact from which it can no longer escape.

"ALDE has still not distanced itself from the decision of its member, the Lelo party, to continue party ties and cooperation with a terrorist. In doing so, ALDE has declared itself an enabler of terrorism and a protector of a terrorist—a fact from which it can no longer escape." "Until ALDE distances itself from 'Lelo'—an ally of a terrorist—any statement by the ALDE leadership regarding Georgia must be viewed as a statement from an entity that shields a terrorist," writes Papuashvili.

For context, the ALDE party issued a statement declaring: "We strongly condemn the proceedings to ban political parties and demand their termination; we call upon the European Union to impose targeted sanctions against those responsible for the campaign against the opposition."