On June 2, the anti-opposition Facebook page “Political Pigsty N5” and a Facebook user shared a short video clip of an interview with Levan Khabeishvili, a member of the United National Movement party, aired on TV channel Formula. In the video, Khabeishvili says that the person he’s talking about “can’t stand used things” and “can’t stand used people.” The video is edited in a way that does not reveal who the politician is referring to. At the same time, the video includes a photo of former President Mikheil Saakashvili on the left, and on the right, in succession, we see photos of Ia Parulava, Tinatin Bokuchava, Vera Kobalia, Sopho Nizharadze, Lisa Yasko, Gia Baramidze, Alana Gagloeva, and Khatuna Kalmakhelidze. This creates the impression that Khabeishvili is talking about Mikheil Saakashvili.
Levan Khabeishvili: “Just like he can’t stand used things – those who know him well know he can’t stand used things – he can’t stand used people. He uses them – then discards them, uses them – then discards them….”
In the circulated segment from the interview with Formula, Levan Khabeishvili does not talk about Mikheil Saakashvili. In reality, Khabeishvili was talking about the replacement of Georgian Dream ministers, and his comments were directed at Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The United National Movement representative appeared on Formula TV’s program “Saturday Formula” on May 31. In the program, host Davit Kashiashvili and Khabeishvili discussed various topics, including the resignation of Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and the appointment of Gela Geladze to the position. It is in this context that Khabeishvili speaks about how the Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili “doesn’t like used people.” Specifically, he says [21:15]:
“What Bidzina is doing now is interesting. My opinion, Davit, is that he is preparing – he wants to hold parliamentary elections, he is in a very serious deadlock, and he wants to hold parliamentary elections. Now he’s going to get rid of the sanctioned guys – Liluashvili, Gomelauri, and then Kharazishvili, Siradze, and probably Kalandarishvili too… Bidzina can’t stand used, exploited people. He’s already used them. Just like he can’t stand used things – those who know him well know he can’t stand used things – he can’t stand used people. He uses them – then discards them, uses them – then discards them. Remember his 2015 government, his ministers and deputy ministers; you won’t be able to find 80% of them today. You won’t find them because he used them – then discarded them. They were simply long-term consumables – Liluashvili and the others.”
Thus, in the interview, Khabeishvili was not speaking about Mikheil Saakashvili but rather about Bidzina Ivanishvili and the replacement of Georgian Dream ministers. The phrase “he can’t stand used people” was directed specifically at Ivanishvili.
In addition to misrepresenting Khabeishvili’s words by falsely connecting them to Saakashvili, the video is offensive as it shows photos of several women alongside the former president, some of whom were confirmed to have been in romantic relationships with him.
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