Georgian authorities claim opposition preparing an ‘armed rebellion’ after elections
Three days before the decisive parliamentary elections in Georgia, the authorities claim the opposition is planning an armed rebellion.
This statement was made by the executive secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze.
As evidence, Kobakhidze mentioned a sociological poll ordered by the opposition. One of the questions of the research, he says, was the following: “Which form of protest would be acceptable for you, if you are not satisfied with the results of the elections?”
“And among the answers of citizens, alongside blocking state agencies and hunger-strikes, the following option was offered — seizure of government buildings and use of physical or armed force to get their demands satisfied”, said Kobakhidze.
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This, as he says, means that “as in 2016, 2018 and other years, the radical opposition is considering the possibility of armed rebellion and studying what the reaction of citizens will be, if the radical opposition resorts to the form of an armed resistance against the government! This is an absolutely shocking fact”.
Kobakhidze also said that another fact pointing at the preparation of the rebellion is that besides the official elections headquarters, the opposition United National Movement opened a so-called ‘revolutionary HQ’ headed by the ‘criminal Vano Merabishvili’ (former Minister of Interior and PM).
Representatives of the opposition and experts answered this statement of the former parliament speaker
Sergi Kapanadze, political party European Georgia
“Mr. Kobakhidze is a liar. They (the authorities) will not achieve success, there won’t be any armed rebellion and violence, this Saturday they will very calmly lose the elections, and the story will be over. And the lie will remain in history as another sign of whatthe Soviet-like government Ivanishvili (the leader of the ruling party) wants to have”.
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Vano Machavariani, expert
“The Georgian Dream seems to follow the old scenario, according to which the opposition, in their opinion, is destructive, an enemy of the state, and only the Georgian Dream are real patriots.
“Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement, which doesn’t seem very reliable, is intended to create a sensation, and I’m sure it won’t be taken seriously. I’d advise Georgian Dream to concentrate on the needs of the voters rather than conspiracy theories — such as the creation of so-called ‘revolutionary headquarters’, the David Gareji affair (an ancient monastery which has become the subject of a border dispute with Azerbaijan) or anything of that kind, which is very futile and harmful for the state”.
Nodar Kharshiladze, expert
“Irakli Kobakhidze is the author of probably the most radical statements in Georgia. That’s a fact. He is one of the leading actors of Georgian Dream, at the same time he often makes remarks and criticizes various studies. Let’s not forget that it was him who announced the results of the first tour of presidential elections (2018) with an error of 15%. That’s why I don’t think Irakli has any credibility left to him. And his logic, to put it mildly, is very doubtful in every way”.
