PM: October elections to be held amid “unprecedented” foreign intervention represents breach of electoral principles

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Sunday said the October parliamentary elections would be held against the backdrop of “unprecedented” and “disruptive” foreign interference that represented an “obvious” violation of electoral principles.

It is very regrettable, [but] the good thing is that external interference will ultimately have no impact on the results of the elections. Everyone is aware of who is who and what they stand for, including such types of external interference,” the PM noted.

The head of the Government made the comments over the Festival of Democracy held in the city of Telavi in the country's eastern Kakheti region last week.

When you label an event as a festival of democracy while displaying pictures of [the imprisoned former Georgian President] Saakashvili, it is clear that someone is actually trying to hold the festival of authoritarianism and bring it [authoritarianism] back to Georgia,” he stressed.

Kobakhidze also added everything should be done to ensure that “authoritarianism never returns” to Georgia.