Ruling party approval rating has “hit a high” after EU candidacy for Georgia - Chair

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said his party's approval rating had reached its "high" since its assuming of office in 2012 following the country’s obtaining of the European Union membership candidate status earlier this month.

Referring to the latest polls and party data, Kobakhidze told Imedi TV the approval rating had reached nearly 60 percent, and that the United National Movement - the largest opposition faction - had come in second with a below 20 percent rating.

Pointing to the ratings, he claimed only GD and UNM had a chance of gaining seats in the legislative body in next year's parliamentary elections, and added other opposition groups entering the Parliament would make "no difference" due to their alleged alliance and cooperation with the latter.

He also claimed the authorities had made "all efforts and legal amendments" to eliminate "election speculations" through introduction of electronic voting and noted if the opposition attempted to "manipulate figures" after the race - in reference to allegations about the 2020 elections - they would "definitely fail".

Speaking about Mamuka Khazaradze, the leader of the Lelo opposition party and co-founder of TBC Bank whom he accused of business racketeering under UNM authorities, Kobakhidze claimed a part of the opposition was "burdened by past sins".

I think [the opposition] do not have the resources to learn [from experience]. It requires intelligence [and] experience. The fact is that they cannot learn if you look at their PR and political moves. The same applies to Khazaradze. This man clearly cannot learn", the party official claimed.

He also accused Giorgi Gakharia, the former GD Prime Minister, of being allied with UNM, pointing to the cooperation of his For Georgia party with the former in four municipal city assemblies.

Kobakhidze claimed the opposition had "no evidence" of Government interference in the 2020 elections, adding the ruling power had been "forced to get involved” in "absolutely incorrect" talks with them with the engagement of foreign officials to resolve the "artificially sparked" political crisis following the vote.

He called the experience "bad past", adding the current situation was "totally different" with novelties to "prevent any such developments".

In his interview, Kobakhidze reiterated his allegations against a part of the domestic opposition and President Salome Zourabichvili over their alleged moves to hamper the country's EU candidacy.

Each time representatives of the opposition, including Zourabichvili, went to European capitals, the process related to obtaining the candidate status became more complicated. This had a very simple explanation. They said the same thing outside the country as [they did within] - that the country did not deserve the status”, he alleged.

The party Chair also claimed Zourabichvili, whose term in office expires next year, could resign ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections and get involved in the race, and did not rule out the possibility that the President could pardon her imprisoned predecessor Mikheil Saakashvili.