Georgian PM warns of election “risks”, claims opposition “only accountable to foreign forces”

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister of Georgia and the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party election staff, warned on Wednesday of potential “risks” against the objective of ensuring “peaceful” campaigning ahead of the October 26 general elections, and claimed domestic “radical opposition” groups were acting “only in line with the demands of their foreign patrons”. 

In an interview with an Imedi TV live programme, the PM said "there are risks, and we must do everything to prevent them”, referencing past cases that he claimed were raising concerns about the upcoming elections. He also alleged the “radical wing” of the domestic opposition - “the United National Movement and its affiliates” - had a history of “attempting to radicalise election environments”. 

The radical opposition, especially the collective UNM, may provoke unrest. Their motivation is even higher now due to the significance of this election”, the official said, adding the opposition had been discussing such provocations behind closed doors. However, he assured the law enforcement was “fully prepared” to maintain order.

The Government head claimed the opposition’s “weakened position” made them vulnerable to “internal leaks”, providing the Government with insights into their strategies.

The opposition’s aim is to maintain polarisation and the presence of UNM in the political system, which is against the country's interests”, he said, stressing the Government’s focus was on establishing a “healthy democratic system”.

Pointing to the ruling party’s post-election goal of initiating legal proceedings against the UNM for its alleged crimes during the Russia-Georgia 2008 war, the PM claimed the completion of trials in the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights over the conflict had allowed his party to act more freely.

If we had started this process earlier, it could have posed challenges for our state's interests in The Hague and Strasbourg. However, since those proceedings have concluded, the issue no longer exists. Additionally, despite having a constitutional majority from 2016 to 2020, various challenges prevented us from taking the necessary steps. Today, the situation is different - the [ruling party] team is consolidated, the state is strong and sovereign, and the trials in The Hague and Strasbourg have ended”, Kobakhidze said.

Reacting to the opposition’s claims that their return would steer Georgia back on its Euro-Atlantic integration path, the PM warned UNM’s return would “signify the end of Georgia’s European aspirations”, describing it as the “most anti-European political force”.

Georgia’s European perspective would collapse with the return of UNM, but the Georgian people will not allow this to happen”, the official asserted.

Kobakhidze also questioned public support claimed by opposition groups such as UNM and parties led by figures like Nika Gvaramia, the co-founder of the Ahali political party, Mamuka Khazaradze, the Lelo party leader, and Giorgi Gakharia, the former Prime Minister and leader of the For Georgia party.

Winning elections and organising a revolution requires the backing of the people. How can these parties claim to have that?”, the PM said, adding the ruling party currently held a rating of around 60 percent, “widely acknowledged by the public”. 

"This is the final struggle, and they will do everything to attempt to change the government against the will of the people, but they lack the resources for that”, the top official reaffirmed. 

He asserted the “scenario” faced in the 2020 Parliamentary elections was being “premeditated once again”, but was “destined to fail”.

They [the opposition, members of non-governmental organisations] are talking about what happens not if GD wins the election, but when GD ‘rigs the election’ - that is their narrative. In fact, it is clear that the same scenario we experienced in 2020 has been planned ahead. Do you remember what happened back then? How the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy falsified the parallel vote count data, how domestic NGOs manipulated other data together? They failed, and what did not work four years ago is bound to fail again. The public is not behind them, the state is strong, law enforcement is strong, and under these circumstances, they will not have the people’s support to start a revolution”, the PM noted. 

He further claimed the opposition’s legitimacy today was “entirely based on their external patrons”, and they were afraid of backing bills proposed by the ruling party to prevent “LGBT propaganda” and allow amnesty for prisoners.

In 2013, [shortly after GD defeated UNM in the 2012 elections], there was talk of punishing criminals. But in reality, these individuals were kept in the political system by external influences. As a result, they feel accountable not to the public, but to outside patrons who have ensured that a criminal political force, represented by the collective UNM, remains in the system. Otherwise, they would unequivocally support these bills”, he alleged.

“Moreover, the bills serve only noble purposes and present no risks. While some bills might pursue positive goals yet have side effects or risks, these initiatives do not infringe on any human rights. Their sole aim is to prevent propaganda. Failing to support such a bill [on Family Values and Protection of Minors] shows zero accountability to society, whose demand is to protect these interests, and instead signals allegiance to external forces that oppose the bill’s adoption in our country”, the PM asserted.

Speaking about anticipated election results, Kobakhidze expressed that “unfortunately, only one opposition force, represented once again by UNM, will likely cross the threshold”, adding two other parties - those led by Gvaramia and Khazaradze - were close overcoming it but adding he believed neither of them would be able to surpass it.