Georgian opposition faces difficulties, seeks excuses to avoid local elections, ruling party official claims

Levan Machavariani, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and Deputy Chair of the parliamentary faction of the ruling party, on Saturday claimed the domestic opposition was deliberately avoiding the upcoming local elections scheduled for October due to their declining public support.

In his remarks, Machavariani noted that opposition parties were seeking pretexts to withdraw from the upcoming elections, fearing a significant loss in public support compared to previous elections.

“The opposition is in a very difficult situation. They are looking for excuses to avoid participating in these elections because they know that their approval ratings have plummeted even further compared to the last parliamentary elections”, the Parliament official said.

Machavariani further criticised the opposition’s claims of election fraud and their decision to boycott parliamentary activities.

“They refused to participate in parliamentary work. Despite making absurd claims that 400 000 votes were falsified and that 100 000 people were left without ID cards, they failed to present a single piece of evidence. Naturally, this also disheartened their supporters, who realised they were being misled. Now they openly state that their main goal is to destabilise the country's economy and create political turmoil. Their voters also understand well that they are dealing with hostile forces”, he concluded.

A segment of the opposition has reiterated its decision not to participate in the upcoming local elections, citing the need for changes in the country’s political landscape.