Georgian Parliament Speaker: President’s offer aims to end election campaign “excuses”

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said that the Georgian President had offered an opportunity for politicians wishing to participate in the upcoming local elections, aiming to eliminate any excuses about a lack of campaign opportunities.

In his remarks, Papuashvili emphasised that the President had expressed a readiness to pardon such politicians if they desire.

“We are already witnessing attempts to undermine the upcoming local self-government elections. This includes attempts at foreign funding, such as from organisations associated with the British Embassy, which have openly declared their goal to disrupt the elections”, the Speaker said.

“To preempt any speculation, the President has clarified that those politicians who wish to take part in the elections have been given the opportunity. There should be no excuses later that they were denied the chance to campaign. If they express the will to participate, he is ready to issue a pardon”, Papuashvili continued.

He further claimed that efforts were underway to sabotage the elections.

“There was an attempt by the British Embassy to fund organisations whose stated goal is to sabotage the elections. There are also organisations like Transparency International Georgia, Nino Lomjaria’s NGO, Sapari, which have publicly advocated for boycotting and sabotaging the elections. Let me remind you that these organisations receive direct funding from the EU Delegation to Georgia. This means that the EU Delegation is currently financing groups that have declared their goal to disrupt the local elections. This would be a scandal if the Georgian public wasn’t already used to it - that people and organisations who not only spread hate and propaganda but are now openly targeting the upcoming elections are funded by the EU Embassy. We must speak openly and loudly about this”, Papuashvili noted.

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili on Friday offered to pardon convicted politicians if they officially apply for clemency and confirm their intent to participate in the 2025 local elections.