Ruling party MP accuses opposition and NGOs of destabilization attempts ahead of elections

Givi Mikanadze, a member of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, has claimed that opposition groups and some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are intensifying their use of hate speech and attacks on ruling party members as the October 26 elections draw nearer. He stressed that incidents involving the “destruction and falsification” of GD campaign materials are becoming more frequent and systematic.

During a briefing on Saturday, Mikanadze stated that since the adoption of the Law on Transparency, there have been several staged incidents involving “outraged citizens,” which were orchestrated to discredit political figures and spread across media platforms.

He provided a series of examples of alleged attacks on GD members:

• August 25: Ruling party MP Davit Matikashvili was verbally assaulted at Munich Airport by opposition activist Nino Shvelidze. The incident was filmed by her husband, Timothy Blauvelt, an NGO director.

• September 4: In Tskaltubo, opposition activist Roland Nucubidze verbally insulted GD member Ermile Gigiaze, who later died allegedly from distress.

• September 9: GD MP Vasil Chigogidze was reportedly insulted by opposition activist Levan Brodzeli.

• September 10: Olympic champions Lasha Talakhadze and Geno Petriashvili were targeted in a hate campaign following their inclusion in the GD’s top 20 electoral candidates.

Mikanadze also accused United National Movement (UNM) activists of destroying GD campaign materials in various regions and criticized NGOs for becoming more politically active. He further claimed that opposition-inclined Mtavari TV refused to air GD election ads.

The MP stated that GD plans to release a report next week, detailing electoral violations by opposition groups and NGOs, covering the period from June 1 to September 15, 2024. The report will be available on the GD’s Facebook page in both Georgian and English and will be distributed to international observers.