Gov’t aims to exclude immigrants from elections – opposition MP

Levan Bezhashvili, an MP of the United National Movement opposition party, on Friday claimed the government’s alleged objective was to exclude immigrants from the election process, ahead of October’s general elections.

Bezhashvili asserted that such a move was motivated by the government’s desire to suppress opposition voices, as immigrants, as she claimed, were perceived to be part of the opposition electorate.

Bezhashvili emphasized that the government “should uphold the fundamental democratic principle” of allowing every citizen the right to vote. He argued for simplifying electoral registration procedures and timelines to facilitate broader participation. 

However, he condemned the “purported targeting of immigrants”, suggesting that many Georgians had been forced to migrate due to government policies, and as such, they represented a significant portion of the opposition electorate.