Natia Mezvrishvili, the deputy chair of the party, asserted that the Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze-Papuashvili group had been tasked with manipulating votes and legitimizing the manipulated results.
Mezvrishvili emphasized the urgency of investigating the violence purportedly incited by Papuashvili during the pre-election campaign.”We urge the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the violence endorsed by Speaker Shalva Papuashvili against the opposition during the pre-election period. A prompt response is crucial to ensuring a violence-free election environment,” Mezvrishvili said.
She further accused Papuashvili’s call for violence as part of a broader criminal scheme, alleging that the ruling party had preemptively promised amnesty to certain law enforcement to allegedly manipulate election results. This promise, according to Mezvrishvili, was followed by Papuashvili’s public call for violence.
“The ruling party is evidently losing the elections, even with total control over institutions, political corruption, and systemic violence. Their own research shows that government support does not even reach 30 percent. Hence, they are resorting to criminal methods to mobilize additional resources,” Mezvrishvili claimed.
She accused Kobakhidze of using government resources for alleged corrupt purposes with assistance from the country’s State Security Service and Papuashvili of promoting violence against observers, media, and opposition members, while also spreading disinformation about the elections.
“We remind the public of Papuashvili’s past involvement in violence. His call for violence against activists and media was immediately followed by brutal violence against an activist by law enforcement groups. We urge the Prosecutor’s Office to act promptly. The government and Papuashvili bear direct responsibility for any resulting violence, and the inaction of relevant agencies equates to complicity,” Mezvrishvili concluded.
