Givi Mikanadze, a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party, raised concerns on Friday about alleged foreign interference and actions by the “radical opposition” ahead of the October 26 elections.
Mikanadze claimed that external forces were intensifying efforts to influence voter intentions, referring to recent US sanctions on Georgian officials, including law enforcement leaders, and visa restrictions on 60 high-ranking government and municipal figures. He criticized these measures as “unjustified” and described them as attempts to interfere in the electoral process.
The MP also highlighted the visit of Mikhail Roth, Chair of the German Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and alleged that Roth’s statements after each meeting were “critical and insulting” toward the ruling party.
Mikanadze further accused opposition groups, including the public movement Vote for Europe, of engaging in “anti-government propaganda,” prompting an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau into the group’s finances. He also criticized NGOs, such as the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and the Georgian Democracy Initiative, for failing to address these concerns.
He expressed concern over the alleged misuse of administrative resources by President Salome Zourabichvili, accusing her of promoting opposition unity by hosting meetings with opposition parties at the Presidential Palace.
Mikanadze also attacked opposition-aligned media outlets, including
TV Pirveli and FormulaTV, accusing them of refusing to air Georgian Dream’s political ads while promoting opposition content. He suggested this created an “unequal election environment.”
In his briefing, Mikanadze also claimed opposition parties were spreading misinformation about the election process and disrupting commission activities, which he said further distorted the pre-election environment.
