Georgian PM urges opposition to refrain from “hate speech” ahead of October parliamentary elections

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who leads the electoral office of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday said the collective United National Movement opposition were in a “difficult situation” due to their 25 percent rating and their “violent acts” were an “attempt” to cover up their “feebleness” ahead of the 26 October parliamentary elections.

In his comments at an election campaign event in the city of Gori in Georgia's Shida Kartli region, the head of the Government urged the opposition to refrain from “hate speech” during the pre-election campaign, as it was “inappropriate” for the “Georgian culture".

“There were several facts, there were attacks, including on members of the Parliament and the Government, and there were some attempts to hinder the [pre-election] campaign. For instance in Zugdidi [in western Georgia] and other municipalities as well. One of such acts cost a human life. Such acts cannot happen during the elections“, Kobakhidze noted.

The PM pointed out that the domestic opposition was conducting the election campaign “not in their own country, with their own people, but abroad”. 

“As for the opposition’s travelling abroad. Actually, the opposition should not have time for that […]. They have no sense of reality. They do not talk to the public at all, however, there is an objective reason for this - they have nothing to say and that is why they go abroad and tell lies to foreigners”, he emphasised. 

Kobakhidze also claimed that “deceiving the Georgian people is not easy” and people “see what is happening in and around the country”.