Ruling party Executive Secretary labels ex-President, opposition leaders as “foreign agents”, warns of war threats if they take office

The Executive Secretary of Georgia’s ruling party, Mamuka Mdinaradze, on Thursday attacked former President Mikheil Saakashvili and opposition leaders, accusing them of being “foreign agents” and warning that their rise to power would threaten the country’s future.

He specifically named opposition leaders Nika Gvaramia, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Giorgi Gakharia, with the latter serving as the country’s Prime Minister under the GD authorities, claiming they were all controlled by external forces and that their policies could endanger Georgia’s stability.

“People should know that each vote given to them is not only a great danger for our peaceful and dignified tomorrow but also for the existence of the country,” he warned.

Mdinaradze’s remarks come as political tensions rise ahead of upcoming October 26 general elections. He claimed the opposition bloc, consisting of Saakashvili’s United National Movement party and other “associated political figures”, had been “systematically discrediting” the current government while being manipulated by foreign entities. He accused them of being involved in orchestrating the 2008 war with Russia and engaging in widespread corruption and criminal activities during their time in power.

Mdinaradze further alleged that efforts were underway to rebrand certain opposition figures, such as Mamuka Khazaradze, the Lelo opposition leader, and Gakharia, the founder of For Georgia opposition party, as a “new, third political center,” in order to “deceive voters”. He asserted that the leaders were part of a strategy to “disguise the real intent of external forces behind them”.