The political climate in Georgia seems to reflect the anticipation of just three weeks before the crucial elections. The election is everywhere – in the media, in the streets, and in conversations. The rhetoric has become more direct and the election atmosphere has even influenced diplomats from partner nations who had previously avoided calling out the Georgian Dream Party for its misbehavior. The Georgian President has begun consultations on the composition of her government with the opposition, while also visiting European capitals in order to gain their support for Georgia‘s EU integration.
Election Environment
Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Parliament announced that the ruling Georgian Dream Party will initiate a second round of impeachment against President Salome Zurabishvili. The speaker stated at a press conference that the visits to France, Germany Poland and Belgium were the reason why she decided to file a complaint with the Constitutional Court. According to the Speaker of the House, GD will submit the complaint before the election and impeach President during the first parliamentary session following the achievement of the constitutional majority.
“Card Wars” – The U.S. Embassy at Tbilisi responded by publishing a set of informational cards to counter false narratives and provide clear, concise messages. Georgian Dream officials, such as the Prime Minister and majority leader of the parliamentary chamber Mamuka Mamdinaradze, strongly criticised the initiative. The PM called for the U.S. The Ambassador should investigate the work of the employee who created the cards. Mdinaradze mockingly claimed that United National Movement representatives had accessed the Embassy’s Facebook page.
EU Ambassador Urges Georgians To Vote. The European Union Ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Hisczynski, has called on Georgians, to achieve an “historically high” voter turnout at the upcoming elections. He said that the future of the country lies in the citizens’ hands. Herczynski, in a scathing critique of the Georgian Dream’s campaign tactics and anti-Western rhetoric and policies, said that Georgia’s EU ambitions depend on free and fair elections. The EU, which has suspended all high-level contact with the Georgian authorities after the elections, is prepared to work with any democratically-elected government.
Anti-Corruption Bureau Follows the Orders… The Anti-Corruption Bureau removed the status of “political actor with declared electoral objectives” from Transparency International-Georgia, a watchdog and key election observer, one day after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze requested it. After the Bureau reversed their decision, TI-Georgia declared that it would continue with election monitoring under its own name.
The Speaker of the Parliament Signs the Anti-LGBT+ Law… On October 3, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili signed into law the anti-LGBT+ bill after President Salome Zurabishvili had refused to sign it but did not veto. After the President refused to sign the homophobic/transphobic law, the Speaker, who was also the co-author, had five working days to publish and sign the law. The law will come into effect 60 days after its publication, which is more than a full month after the important parliamentary elections on October 26.
President Salome Zurabishvili Starts Consultations On Government Composition In an interview with TV Pirveli she announced that she would start consultations with the parties who signed the Georgian Charter regarding the composition of the technical government on October 7. She said that she had already selected a good candidate without any political background to be proposed for the position of Prime Minister. The first round of consultations took place with the leaders of the Coalition for Change, who said after the meeting that the President had not yet named a candidate for the post.
President Announces Coordination Platform. On October 7, President Salome Zurabishvili addressed Georgians, including emigrants from the Orbeliani Palace, calling for their mobilization in the October elections. She also announced the creation of a Coordination Platform on the day of elections at the Orbeliani Palace “to monitor all that will happen that day” and to “celebrate the victory together.”
MIA Creates “Territorial groups” Linked to Sanctioned official… The Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gommelauri issued a decret establishing territorial group composed of police officers who will be tasked with detecting and preventing violations in the pre-election and election day period. The groups will be based at local police departments. The groups will be led by representatives of MIA. This includes the representative appointed by Zviad Kharazishvili, the infamous head of the Department of Special Tasks (Khareba), sanctioned by the U.S. because he “undermined democracy” in Georgia.
Opposition-leaning Media refuses to Air GD Ads. Three opposition media outlets have refused to air the political ad of the ruling party, which contrasts the war-torn Ukraine and the peace Georgian Dream promises. Media outlets that are opposed to the ruling party include Mtavari TV and TV Pirveli. They face heavy fines if they do not air the ad.
Emigrants Struggle To Vote: Georgians who have emigrated face a number problems when it comes time to vote in the upcoming election. According to the CEC’s decision, the CEC has decided that the voting stations in Ukraine will not be opened because of the political and military situation in Ukraine, but the polling station in Israel will open despite the tense security conditions. Second, there was a public outcry last week when it became clear that IDPs who had emigrated from the occupied territory were denied the right to vote if they didn’t have a residence address in the non occupied part of Georgia. After the Ombudsperson became involved in the matter, CEC issued a decret granting the right of vote to emigrated IDPs.
PACE members, Partners of CoE Platform for Journalists’ Safety (MFRR) and Partners of CoE Platform for Journalists’ Safety (Partners of CoE Platform for Journalists’ Safety), have published their interim findings about the media situation in Georgia. The findings of Partners of CoE Platform for Journalists’ Safety and MFRR revealed that press freedom and safety of journalists were at risk. There is also a growing climate of fear and polarization in the country. PACE members expressed alarm over the apparent preparations by the ruling party to steal the October 26, parliamentary elections.
Zurab Japaridze, the leader of the Coalition for Change, spoke at the ALDE party congress in Portugal about the political and pre-election climate in the country. The ALDE resolution adopted by the Congress stressed the importance for democratic reforms, free and fair elections and condemned the democratic regression and persecution of opponents of the Georgian Dream Government. It also called for personal sanctions to be imposed against Bidzina and his family, as well as “duplication” of sanctions already imposed by America against those undermining the democracy in Georgia.
Russia is Confident Georgians will Make the Right Choice: Sergey Naryshkin expressed his confidence that Georgians would make the “right and accurate choice” during the October 26 parliamentary election despite “Western efforts” to “interfere”. The SVR claims the OSCE/ODIHR has prepared a false interim report, claiming that there are no conditions in Georgia for fair elections, under the influence from the U.S. State Department. This is to hinder Georgian Dream’s rise to power.
“Election Compass Launched”… On October 4, the “Election Compass”, a non-partisan, web-based program developed by Georgian civil societies organizations with support from international partners, such as the EU, was launched. The website gives Georgian citizens information about the political parties that will be contesting the upcoming parliament elections and their positions on different policy issues.
Attack on opposition: According to the Unity-National Movement coalition, its representative was assaulted during a meeting in the village Kardenakhi. Kakheti. The party claims the attackers are thugs sent from the government. Levan Metreveli was hospitalized after being physically assaulted by the party’s health secretary. Another opposition party, the “For Georgia” party of ex-Prime Minster Giorgi Gakharia, reported earlier that a member of its party, teacher Shorena Shamatava, was hospitalized because of the mental pressures she received from ruling party. She had been fired from her position as director of a Senaki school and pressured to quit her teaching post due to her political views.
Edison Research Polls – Formula TV, a channel that leans towards the opposition, has published a new poll sponsored by Edison Research. Based on interviews conducted from September 17 to 29, the results indicate that the following parties would surpass the 5% threshold if elections were held today:
* Georgian Dream 33%
* Unity-UNM (19% – UNM, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, and European Georgia).
* Coalition for Changes – Ahali, Girchi – More Freedom, Droa – 13%
* Strong Georgia (Lelo, For People, Freedom Square, Citizens) – 12%;
* Gakharia for Georgia – 11%
Campaign Trail
GD Presents Its Electoral Programme: The Prime Minister and Chairman of the Election Commission Irakli Kobakhidze, presented the electoral programme of the Georgian Dream. The founder of the party and Honorary Chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili, as well as the former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, did not attend the presentation. The main promises made by the party include:
* The relationship with the US and EU will be reset
* Georgia will be ready to join the EU by 2028
* The first ship will arrive in Anaklia port in 2029.
* The new airport will receive 18 millions travelers
* The poverty level will drop to 4% in 2028.
* The economy will grow by GEL 130 billion by 2028;
* By 2028 the budget will reach GEL50 billion and 200,000 new jobs will be created.
* GEL 30 millions will be allocated for the support of artists and art.
GD Founder Celebrated 12-Years in Power: On 1 October, the Honorary Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream Party, Bidzina, published a letter commemorating 12 years since GD came to power in Georgia. The letter repeated the GD rhetoric and framed the elections as a decision between the peace GD offers or the war the “Collective UNM”, which will bring war to Georgia. It talked about internal and external enemies and the plans to prosecute “collective UNM’s” after the elections.
“Unity’s Billboard Battle”: The coalition reported the outdoor advertising company Alma+ (part of the Wissol Group) refused to put up billboards containing UNM campaign quotes due to their content, even though they had already received the compensation that they were contractually obligated to receive. Giorgi Vashadze said that the company refused to put up billboards at the request of Georgian Dream.
UNM’s Chair in the EPP Assembly Tina Bokuchava, UNM leader, spoke to the European People’s Party on October 1 about the current political climate in Georgia. She said that Georgian Dream policies are sabotaging Georgia’s EU Integration, “demonizing” the West, and highlighted the prison of former President Mikheil Sakaashvili.
Pro-Govt’ Media refuses to air Coalition Strong Georgia’s ads… The progovernment channels Imedi TV, PosTV and others refused to broadcast the paid political advertising of the Coalition for a Strong Georgia. They also spread what the Coalition refers to as “disinformation” about the Coalition’s financing after the Coalition appealed to the Communications Commission the media decisions. The Coalition claims the decisions were taken at the request Georgian Dream.
First Congress of the Coalition for Change: On October 1, the Coalition for Change held its first Congress in Rustavi. During the event, the leaders Nika Meila, Nika Gvaramia Elene Khoshtaria and Zurab Japaridze spoke to hundreds of people, focusing on the need to make sure that the Georgian Dream Party does not win the elections, as well as the campaign promises made by the Coalition to its voters. The main promise of the Georgian Charter was reforms toward EU integration.
Members leave the “Chven ” Political Movement: Davit Catsarava, Akia barbakadze, and Kakha Gogidze have decided to leave the political group “Chven”, only two months after it was founded. They were going to take part in the elections as “23”. The movement was an alliance of Free Choice – New Alternative, Strength in Unity and Regions for Georgia.
Regional Tours: The parties have continued their traditional regional tour. The Georgian Dream performed in Akhmeta, Kvareli, Gurjaani, Marneuli Sagarejo Ninotsminda Telavi Borjomi and Chkhorotsku. Coalition Unity met with its supporters in Kakheti. Coalition for Change met with locals in Rustavi. Coalition Strong Georgia members visited Tbilisi; Kobuleti; Guria; Zestafoni; Kutaisi; Ambrolauri; Tolebi; Imereti; Tsitelkhevi; Borjomi.
* 02/10/2024: Campaign Beat: September 24-30
MFRR and Partners of the CoE Platform for Journalists’ Safety Issue Critical Interim Results
Campaign Beat: September 24-30
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