Georgian Parliament official: Gov’t will respond firmly but fairly to any election provocations

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on European Integration, on Monday expressed confidence that the upcoming local elections scheduled for Saturday will proceed in a peaceful and civil manner, despite attempts by the domestic opposition to disrupt the process.

“The reality is that the October 4 elections will be held peacefully and civilly. Citizens will have the opportunity to express their views, and local self-government bodies will be formed in line with the wishes and expectations of the people. Of course, there is an expectation that the radical opposition will make every effort to disrupt this peaceful and civil process. They have openly declared that their goal is not the elections, but their disruption”, he said.

“These attempts will certainly take place, but we want to be absolutely clear to everyone: they should refrain from confrontational actions, because the state, in each case, will act strictly but at the same time fairly”, Makhashvili concluded.