UNM Chair raises concerns over electoral fairness amid ex-Pres. Saakashvili’s imprisonment

Levan Khabeishvili, the chair of Georgia’s largest opposition group, the United National Movement (UNM), voiced concerns on Tuesday about the fairness of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Khabeishvili stated that the continued imprisonment of UNM founder and former President Mikheil Saakashvili “undermines the competitiveness” of the electoral process. He emphasized that without Saakashvili’s release, the elections cannot be considered “truly competitive”.

During a press briefing, Khabeishvili also discussed ongoing talks with the European Union Ambassador and representatives from EU countries. He claimed the discussions centered on the priorities and challenges of the Victory Coalition – formed by UNM in collaboration with Strategy Agmashenebeli for the upcoming elections – and highlighted the need for a fair assessment of election competitiveness and expressed concerns about potential manipulation across “multiple electoral districts”.

In addition to electoral matters, Khabeishvili underscored the importance of fostering economic success for Georgia. He mentioned that international partners were closely monitoring the electoral process, signaling significant attention on Georgia’s political and economic future from both domestic and international stakeholders.