Imedi TV responds to accusations of former PM, Tbilisi mayoral candidate, refuses to give his campaign airtime
Imedi also touched upon the topic of the upcoming elections and stated that Gakharia ‘has no chance of winning and he knows it perfectly well.’ Photo: Netgazeti.ge.
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Local TV channel Imedi has responded to former Georgian PM and Tbilisi mayor candidate Giorgi Gakharia’s accusations that the channel has political bias and has thus refused to air him live in the run up to the October 2 municipal elections.
Imedi pointed out an alleged connection between the current opposition United National Movement (UNM) party which governed the country from 2004 to 2012 and Giorgi Gakharia who left the post of PM on February 18, 2021 due to a disagreement with the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and launched the For Georgia political party in late May.
The TV channel’s statement reads that the UNM before 2012 ‘controlled all major media organisations,’ noting that it ‘raided and expropriated TV channel Imedi.’
Our channel will not operate on the basis of the demands of the UNM and politicians openly or secretly affiliated with them,” Imedi stated.
Gakharia said that the TV channel does not cover his political party’s activities, noting that the GD ‘is forcing Imedi to feed their audience with one-sided information.’
TV channel Imedi was founded by deceased tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili in the early 2000s and was raided by police in 2007 under the UNM-led government.
Imedi also touched upon the topic of the upcoming elections and stated that Gakharia ‘has no chance of winning and he knows it perfectly well.’
This means that his (Gakharia’s) involvement is aimed at demolishing the existing balance of the race for mayor, in favour of the leader of the UNM (Nika Melia),” the statement reads.
Based on Edison Research polls both GD Tbilisi mayor candidate and incumbent Kakha Kaladze and For Georgia’s Giorgi Gakharia are liked by 55 per cent of voters while the joint candidate of four opposition parties Nika Melia is supported by 45 per cent of respondents.
Edison Research polls commissioned by the opposition-minded Formula TV say that 55 per cent of voters like both incumbent Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze and ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia who are running for Tbilisi mayor in the October 2 municipal elections.
Former Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia, who is running for Tbilisi mayor in the upcoming October 2 self-government elections, has accused local TV channel Imedi of political bias and demands to be aired live. Giorgi Gakharia resigned from the post of PM on February 18, 2021 due to a disagreement with the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and soon after in late May launched the For Georgia political party. The GD accused Gakharia of planning an alleged coup together with the largest opposition United National Movement (UNM) party, noting that his resignation ’was profitable for the UNM.’
Deputy Chair of opposition For Georgia party Natia Mezvrishvili says the ruling Georgian Dream party persecutes and threatens opposition politicians, especially in regions. “The Georgian Dream continues the political persecution against the supporters and members of For Georgia party by using various methods of threat and pressure”, Mezvrishvili said at a news briefing today.
The head of the ruling Georgian Dream party (GD) Irakli Kobakhidze says that former PM Giorgi Gakharia, who was nominated for Tbilisi mayor yesterday by his For Georgia political party, ‘has made an attempt with the use of a mediator to receive financial support from us for his refusal to run for Tbilisi mayor.’
Georgian TV channel Imedi has refused to air a political advertisement of opposition party European Georgia in the run up to the October 2 elections due to alleged ‘hate speech content.'
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili says the ruling Georgian Dream party will win the upcoming local self-government elections because it has no alternatives today.
Communications Commission (ComCom), a regulatory body responsible for broadcasting and electronic communication, has satisfied the complaint of the opposition European Georgia party against Imedi TV.
Georgian TV channel Imedi, which has refused to air a political advertisement of the opposition party European Georgia in the run up to the October 2 elections, has been fined with GEL 5,000.