Political parties react to investigation on conspiracy to overthrow Gov’t

Political leaders in Georgia including the main people allegedly speaking in a secret recording that incites violence and includes comments of overthrowing the Government have commented on the audio footage.

It is believed those speaking on the recording were ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili and members of the United National Movement (UNM) party.

United National Movement 

Saakashvili, who now served as Odessa Governor in Ukraine, wrote on his Facebook page that the recording was "a dull montage”. 

He accused Georgia’s ex-Prime Minister and founder of the current ruling Georgian Dream (GD), Bidzina Ivanishvili of being behind the recording, and said Ivanishvili "won’t be able to fool people” by the audio clip.

UNM members allegedly heard in the recording Akaki [Kako] Bobokhidze and Gigi Tsereteli accused Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) of making the video. 

This afternoon Bobokhidze said he had not been in Ukraine or talked with Saakashvili this year.

Georgian Dream Democratic Georgia

Members of the current ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) coalition said UNM "wished” to create tension, stir trouble and cause unrest in Georgia, but added UNM would "definitely fail” in its attempts.

We won’t let someone stage overthrows or bloodshed in Georgia,” said GDDG General Secretary Kakha Kaladze.

He added recent statements by ex-members of local NGO Free Zone and other information confirmed UNM wanted to stage confrontations because they would be defeated in the October 8 Parliamentary Elections. 

The current Government will act within the law. Our key aim is to ensure peaceful pre-election campaigning and elections where all political parties are able to bring their messages to voters,” Kaladze said. 

He added relevant state bodies would investigate the recording to determine whether the conversation was authentic or not. 

GDDG member Eke Beselia said  if the recording was proven to be authentic, "all those [involved] must be strictly punished, who sacrificed their people and Georgia’s future for their own interests”. 

Free Democrats 

Irakli Alasania, leader of the opposition party Free Democrats urged state structures to urgently establish whether the recording was authentic or not. 

The recording includes signs of crime and Georgia’s relevant agencies are obliged to carry out a fair investigation into it,” Alasania said. 

He stressed Free Democrats was "categorically against any unrest in Georgia” and he said UNM was "the past that no one wants to be returned”.

Republican Party 

Head of the Republican Party, David Usupashvili, said "a lot of lies and truth” would be voiced in the coming days as the election approached.

He appealed to voters to make their choice by taking "multiple points” into account and look at the entire situation and not base their decision on statements that took place in the days prior to the elections.

Fellow Republican Party member Tamar Kordzaia said UNM had  "no resource” to stage major confrontations in the country, and she addressed state agencies to investigate who released the recording on YouTube.