Ruling power “creating” pro-Russian, managed, opposition – political analyst Chitadze

The Georgian Dream authorities are creating a pro-Russian opposition managed by them to appear progressive on the background of such opponents, political analyst Nika Chitadze told Front News on Wednesday. 

He suggested that the Government also had plans to launch an anti-US campaign, but not with its name, but with the hands of the “so-called opposition”. 

“The problem is that part of the Geogian public believes what the former ruling party MPs say, that the US wants to drag Georgia into Russia’s war in Ukraine and others, are true”,  said Chitadze. 

He claimed that the founder of the ruling party, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, dubbed as an informal ruler of the country by the opposition, had had several attempts since 2012 to form a pro-Russian opposition, which would replace the United National Movement on the political scene. 

Chitadze said that after taking office, Ivanishvili was encouraging a pro-Russian opposition politician Nino Burjanadze, as well as current president Salome Zourabichvili, “who were accusing the UNM authorities of unleashing a war in 2008”, “to be active”. 

“Then there was Alliance of Patriots, several, pro-Russian politicians or well-known figures, who were expressing fake discontent to the ruling party”, said the expert. 

He stated that the Popular Force was the “latest attempt” of Ivanishvili to form  a desired opposition.