Georgia’s ruling party official accuses opposition activists of stirring pre-election tension

Levan Machavariani, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday accused the opposition activists of orchestrating systemic efforts to disrupt the calm pre-election environment ahead of the upcoming local self-government elections scheduled for October 4.

In his remarks, Machavariani addressed concerns about the opposition’s planned rally and recent incidents of interference.

“The ruling Georgian Dream party ensures that the pre-election environment remains calm, but we notice that opposition activists and externally funded UNM-affiliated goons seek to create artificial commotion and tension, and this has already taken on a systemic character”, Machavariani said.

He cited a recent incident where opposition groups shouted and threw objects at the party’s headquarters during pre-election activities, describing it as “blatant interference” in the electoral process.

“We are following our agenda. We are currently at the Tbilisi election headquarters, where work is ongoing 24/7. Our declared goal is to conclude these elections in the first round, and that’s exactly what will happen. [...] Yesterday, we saw how they came while pre-election activities were underway and obstructed us. They were shouting and throwing objects at the building – this is blatant interference in the pre-election environment”, he noted.

Machavariani welcomed the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ announcement of an investigation into these disruptions, emphasising the need for a peaceful electoral environment.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ statement that an investigation has been launched under this specific article is welcome, as elections must be held in a peaceful environment. This does not align with the plans of the radical opposition, as they know in advance the defeat they are destined for, and they want to prevent the situation from reaching election day physically, because their ratings will be exposed, and everyone will see the enormous margin by which the Georgian Dream will crush them. We will celebrate our tenth anniversary victory with a huge margin”, he said.

The official accused the opposition of attempting to derail the elections to mask their anticipated low ratings.

“Not only I but also my teammates call on our supporters and party representatives to remain calm. However, it is very difficult to endure the kind of insults we witnessed yesterday. A meeting was held at the headquarters this morning to ensure we do not fall for any provocations, as this only plays into their hands. I ask everyone to remain restrained”, Machavariani concluded.