IRI Poll Highlights “Deep Divide” Between Georgian Opposition and Public, Ruling Party Leader Says

A recent survey by the International Republican Institute (IRI) has highlighted what Georgian parliamentary majority leader Irakli Kirtskhalia described as a “deep divide” between the country’s opposition and the Georgian public.

Kirtskhalia, who also chairs the ruling Georgian Dream faction in parliament, questioned the credibility of IRI and accused the organisation and several Georgian civil society groups of operating as part of what he called an “anti-state coalition.”

“We all know very well where IRI comes from. There is an anti-state coalition of NGOs IRI, ISFED and what we refer to collectively as the Gigauri and Lomjaria network individuals who are ‘working’ against the country,” Kirtskhalia said.

He argued that polling published ahead of previous elections had differed significantly from the eventual results and also accused the organisations he named of supporting disputed election-related assessments, including previous parallel vote tabulation results.

“Before every election, we have seen what the polls predicted and what the eventual results were. There is an archive, although we hardly even need one. These are the same people who defended even those falsified surveys, including the parallel vote tabulation results. They are neighbours, effectively one office and one coalition,” Kirtskhalia said.

The majority leader argued that even the findings of an IRI survey, an organisation he strongly criticised, demonstrated what he described as the weakness of Georgia’s opposition forces.

“When even a survey conducted by an organisation like this produces such results, imagine what the situation is among those on the opposition flank who call themselves political parties,” he said.

Kirtskhalia again referred to opposition groups as an “agent network,” a term frequently used by Georgian Dream representatives to allege that their political opponents serve foreign interests.

“This survey has shown us just how wide the gulf is between the agent network and Georgian society in our country,” Kirtskhalia said.