Anna Natsvlishvili, a spokesperson for the Strong Georgia opposition coalition election campaign, has accused Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chair and the ruling Georgian Dream party and its founder, of intending to recognize Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region in exchange for retaining political power.
The allegation comes amid rising tensions ahead of the October 26 parliamentary elections, with Ivanishvili branded as a “shadow ruler” by domestic opposition.
Natsvlishvili’s remarks were made in response to a recent statement by the ruling GD, which stressed the need for a constitutional majority – at least 113 seats in the 150-member parliament – to implement amendments they claimed were necessary for the “restoration of territorial integrity.”
“Ivanishvili and his party serve Russia’s interests,” Natsvlishvili said during a press briefing. “After halting Georgia’s progress toward EU membership under Russian influence, Ivanishvili now seems prepared to recognize Abkhazia in exchange for staying in power. This is a betrayal of our country and its territorial integrity.”
She pointed to provisions in the Georgian Constitution that affirm the country’s territorial integrity and questioned why the ruling party had a goal to amend them. “It is clear that Ivanishvili is following orders from the Kremlin. He is jeopardizing Georgia’s sovereignty, but he will lose these elections, and Georgia will finally have a government that serves its people,” Natsvlishvili added.
The GD August 20 statement called on voters to support their bid for a constitutional majority, citing the need for “constitutional changes required for the restoration of territorial integrity”, among the need to “ban” the United National Movement and “affiliated parties”, and combat alleged LGBT propaganda.
However, the party has not elaborated on how such amendments would help restore control over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Critics have noted the GD had a constitutional majority between 2016 and 2020 but did not pursue these changes at the time.
The ruling party’s call for a constitutional majority has also been linked to a broader agenda, including plans to ban opposition parties. This has sparked concern among opposition figures and international observers about the potential erosion of democratic norms in the country.
The GD statement has drawn reactions from both Moscow and the breakaway regions. Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the International Relations Committee of the Russian Federation Council, dismissed the idea of Georgia reclaiming Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as “devilish reasoning.” Konstantin Zatulin, Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s CIS Affairs Committee, also questioned the feasibility of such a move, given Russia’s “recognition and protection” of the two regions.
In Tskhinvali, the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia criticized Georgian politicians for using the issue of territorial integrity as a political tool ahead of the elections, accusing them of “speculating” on the subject to gain votes.
