EGI Political Digest 29

Georgian Dream pre-election rally was held on Freedom Square

Three days before the second round of local elections on October 27, the Georgian Dream gathered thousands of supporters in the capital.

The Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Tea Tsulukiana, the Chairman of the Georgian Dream Irakli Kobakhidze, the Speaker of the Parliament Kakha Kuchava, the incumbent Mayor Kakha Kaladze and other leaders of the ruling team addressed the participants. 

Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili stressed that the ruling team “step by step” restored justice and arrested “the main creators of the oppressive and violent regime” – Bacho Akhalaia, Vano Merabishvili and Megis Kardava”. According to the Prime Minister, because the economy is still “not at the level of development as a democracy,” many people still need help, and “unemployment and poverty remain a major challenge.”

The incumbent mayor and Georgian Dream mayoral candidate for Tbilisi – Kakha Kaladze, called on voters to participate in the second round on October 30, “We must finally end the ambitions of a political force based on violence and evil in this country.” “The Georgian people have once again charged us with the responsibility to protect the strength of our state and church, to protect human dignity and freedom,” the Tbilisi mayor stressed.

“Saakashvili, look out of the prison cell! Look how many free Georgians there are who remember your violent regime” – Minister of Culture Tea Tsulukiani addressed the starving incarcerated President, Mikheil Saakashvili.

According to Radio Liberty, public officials, including the chairmen of Lagodekhi and Zugdidi municipal councils, organized the bringing of citizens from the regions to the rally of the ruling team.

Transparency International Georgia, a non-governmental organization, said the Interior Ministry was obliged to facilitate the rally and demonstration, but that the measures taken by the patrol police exceeded that obligation and “used the administrative resources in favour of the ruling party.”

Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon was not allowed in Georgia

Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon was not allowed in Georgia. The information is spread by Gordon’s online edition.

According to the available information, Dimitri Gordon arrived in Tbilisi from Kiev this morning, but he could not pass the passport control. “I arrived in Tbilisi about an hour ago, all this time I was waiting for the passport control to pass. At last I was told that I was not allowed to enter Georgia. No reason was given,” wrote Dimitri Gordon.

The Ukrainian journalist himself connects the incident with the spread of statements in support of Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili and Gordon have a personal friendship. “I unequivocally link the incident to the fact that in the previous days the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine requested the relevant agencies of Georgia to organize my visit to the Rustavi prison,” Gordon wrote.

A Ukrainian journalist called the incident an international scandal and a disgrace to the Georgian government. Gordon writes that he will return to Kiev by the same plane with which he arrived.

IPSOS Publishes Survey Before Second Round of Elections, But Due to Disagreement, “Mtavari Arkhi” Terminated Contract with Company and Intends to Complain

Prior to the second round of elections, IPSOS commissioned a survey commissioned by the Main Channel, according to which the Georgian Dream mayoral candidate is leading in one of the five cities, while the National Movement is leading in four. According to the study, the difference between the candidates is in some cases so small that, given the margin of error, the opposite result may arise. The margin of error is 3 percent.

However, on October 29, it became known that the “Mtavari TV” decided to terminate the contract with the company and that it was going to complain. Nika Gvaramia issued a statement about this. On October 28, the authorities issued a statement alleging that the Mtavari TV had manipulated the results of the survey, as the results published by the “Mtavari Arkhi” differed from those uploaded by IPSOS itself. Gvaramia accused IPSOS of dishonesty and intents to sue for damages to reputation, accused it of gross breach of contract and states that he will “inform the partner media and various local and international organizations about IPSOS’ unreliability, dishonesty and alleged involvement in corrupt transactions,” Nika Gvaramia wrote.