Timeline ahead of the Georgian parliamentary elections of 2024

This page contains a timeline of the five months ahead the Georgian parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024, from 1 June till election day and listed in chronological order. The timeline focuses on election related news and developments.

1 June 2024

Reportedly, an estimated hundred “titushky” attacked the headquarters of the United National Movement in Tbilisi, leaving the office and equipment damaged.¹

5 June 2024

Russia’s deputy foreign minister Galuzin accused the West of “inflaming the situation in Georgia” in the context of the elections, adding that he does not rule out “the aim is to try to implement the Maidan scenario of a change of government in the hope of creating another hotbed of tension near Russia’s borders”. Galuzin ironically said “unlike the United States and the EU, we do not interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign States”.²

5 June 2024

Journalists from government critical tv-stations Pirveli, Formula and Mtavari had their accreditation to work in parliament suspended. One of them was suspended for six months, while others were suspended for one month.³ The requests for suspension came from the vice-speaker and an MP of Georgian Dream’s spin-off People’s Power and were motivated with breaking the rules regarding objections to an interview or recording. The bans were criticized by the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics, stating the changes in 2023 to the rules of conduct of media in parliament were used as a punitive tool against critical media.⁴

8 June 2024

Citing health reasons, United National Movement leader Levan Khabeishvili announced he would step down as party leader. He proposed parliamentary faction leader Tina Bokuchava to replace him, to be confirmed at the party congress. Khabeishvili was severely beaten up during the 30 April/1 May protests and was advised by doctors to take it easy for a few months.⁵ Bokuchava was confirmed as leader on June.

12 June 2024

The European Union and Amnesty International called the Georgian authorities to investigate acts of violence against civil society, media and politicians after another beating of a civil society activist. Amnesty accused the Georgian government of “greenlighting violence against its critics” as Zuka Berdzenishvili was assaulted shortly after the Speaker of parliament accused him of a “terror campaign against [Georgian Dream] MPs”.⁶⁷ Since April 2024 dozens civil society activists and opposition politicians were assaulted by titushky, some requiring hospitalization for days.

17 June 2024

Girchi (not to be confused with Girchi-More Freedom) announced it will likely run independently in the elections, using its party number 36.⁸

17 June 2024

Aleksi (Buka) Petriashvili, former minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration between 2012 and 2014 in the first Georgian Dream government, joins Droa party led by Helen Khostaria, an ally of Girchi-More Freedom.⁹ When elected to parliament in 2012, Petriashvili was member of the liberal Free Democrats, at the time led by Irakli Alasania. The party left the Georgian Dream government and coalition in 2014 after Alasania was fired as minister of Defense. Since then, Petriashvili has been Senior Fellow at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (Rondeli Foundation). On 28 April 2024 he was arrested by police during a protest at Parliament against the “foreign agent” law.

28 June 2024

Six opposition parties signed a “declaration of unity”, which outlines their plans for the elections and unites them around the “Georgian Charter” and its principles that was set up by president Salome Zurabishvili. The pro-western parties United National Movement, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Lelo for Georgia, Girchi-More Freedom, Droa and Akhali set a deadline for 8 July to decide on the best approach for the opposition to win the elections. They invited other parties to join the declaration.¹⁰

8 July 2024

The largest opposition party United National Movement (UNM) announced together with Strategy Agmashenebeli a new political platform under the name “Unity – to Save Georgia” . The two parties had announced in 2023 to unite forces under the banner “Platform for Victory”. Representatives from other parties, civil society, and academia are also involved in the new platform. It will be use number 5 of UNM for the elections.¹¹

9 July 2024

Opposition parties Akhali, Girchi-More Freedom and Droa announced a joint election list for the elections in October under the name “Coalition for Change“. The leaders said that Lelo for Georgia did not join the alliance, citing “minor differences”.¹² Girchi-More Freedom and Droa were already allied for a year and are both affiliated with the liberal pan-European ALDE party. Akhali (“new”) was founded in March 2024 by Nika Gvaramia, founder of Mtavari Arkhi tv-channel, and Nika Melia, former leader of the United National Movement.¹³

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The leaders of the alliance stated their goal is to get “Russian influences out of Georgia and for Georgia to become a member of the European Union”, in line with the Georgian Charter laid out by president Salome Zurabishvili. The alliance had yet to determine their ballot number and name. Lelo MP Samadashvili said they wanted to offer something “really new”, as reason why the party did not join the alliance.¹⁴. European Georgia leader Giga Bokeria expressed he reached out to Lelo and Akhali as their best fitting partners, but allegedly received silence in return. In June European Georgia had said it would start “consultations to form a new political center”.¹⁵

9 July 2024

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service claimed on 9 July 2024 the United States is seeking regime change in Georgia after its October elections, drawing parallels with the Maidan revolution in Ukraine in 2014. On 5 June last, Russia’s deputy minister of Foreign Affairs made similar accusations. The Russian intelligence service stated the “fabricated scenario” follows “the best Hollywood traditions”, “blaming Russia for all of Georgia’s troubles”, and by putting Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili in play to stoke anti-government sentiment.¹⁶ The “American “curators” are also accused of instructing the Georgian opposition to plan protests to coincide with the elections, involving “American provocateurs” to sacrifice citizens for the “altar of democracy”. US State Department spokesperson Miller called the allegations “completely false”, “absurd” and “ironic” by a country “that is illegally occupying 20 percent of Georgia”.

For Georgia leader Giorgi Gakharia called the Russian statement a “direct attempt to interfere in the October elections and help Georgian Dream in rigging the elections”. He said the statement, coming shortly after similar statements from Georgian Dream, also “clearly confirms that the authorities have coordinated the complex process of election fraud with Moscow”.¹⁷

10 July 2024

The “United Neutral Georgia” public movement was founded in Tbilisi on 10 July 2024, indicating it will transform into a political party in one year time. The movement claims the Georgian people “had been the political hostage of European integration topic for the last two years”, which was a “threat to Georgian statehood”, comparing the situation with Ukraine. In their statement the movement said “European policy serves foreign interests and not of the European people, by opening the door to immigration, leading to losing national identities and replacing European traditional Christianity with LGBTQI+ religion”. Joining the EU, which is devoid of “rational judgement” they said, threatens Georgia’s sovereignty. Instead, “we should build independent, democratic and neutral Georgia, which will be a friend of all countries, including the US and Europe”.¹⁸

12 July 2024

On the initiative of UNM chairwoman Tina Bokuchava the party charter was amended, which stipulates that at least 30% of the party electoral lists will be made up of women.¹⁹ With this step the party wants to promote women’s participation in politics as much as possible. The initiative was also in response to the ruling majority abolishing the gender quota in the election code.

13 July 2024

Prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze reiterated the claim Georgian Dream has around 60% support of the population, dismissing any chances of the opposition to a victory.²⁰ Georgian Dream leaders have also frequently stated it aims to achieve a constitutional majority, which is 75% or 113 seats in the 150 seat parliament.²¹

16 July 2024

Akhali was registered as a party in the public registry under the full name “New Unity Gvaramia Melia” („ახალი ერთობა გვარამია მელიას“ – ‘Akhali Ertoba Gvaramia Melia’). It took over the registration of State for the People of Paata Burchuladze. Pending a confirmation statement to be submitted to the election authorities CESKO before 1 September 2024, State for the People was already automatically eligible to take part in the elections, as it has representatives in Parliament, who were elected in 2020 through the party list of UNM. Nika Melia and Nika Gvaramia will be registered as co-chairmen of Akhali and the party will re-use election number 4 of State for the People.²²

Akhali describes themselves as a “right-wing centrist union” striving for a “free society”. Among the party goals are achieving political diversity, establishing a democratic and effective governance system in Georgia, promotion of peaceful cooperation with other countries and international organizations, support for free and fair elections and active participation in political life.

16 July 2024

The anti-western People’s Power will participate in the elections on a common list with ruling Georgian Dream, executive secretary and faction leader of GD Mamuka Mdinaradze announced.²³ People’s Power was created in summer 2022 as a parliamentary split from Georgian Dream, totalling nine MPs, while remaining supportive of the government. This way the MPs could “freely speak the truth about the West”. The party has been considered a proxy of Georgian Dream to pave the way for the anti-western turn of Georgian Dream and was responsible for launching the “Global War Party” conspiracy and floating the foreign agent and anti-LGBTI-propaganda bills.

16 July 2024

Georgian Dream founder and Honorary Chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili kicked off the party’s election campaign with a speech reiterating the party will achieve a majority in Parliament. He also indicated the “need for a constitutional majority” to “finally put an end to the War Party [UNM], the agent network, radicalism, polarization, and liberal fascism in Georgia, in order for Georgia to irreversibly continue its peaceful development and economic progress and achieve European standards of welfare, which is a necessary condition for the country’s accession to the European Union”.²⁴

Bidzina Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream leaders 29 April 2024 — Bidzina Ivanishvili addresses the Tbilisi crowd on 29 April 2024 (photo Jelger Groeneveld)

The party uses the “Global War Party” as a metaphor for a dark force, allegedly Western powers, that wants to instigate a coup by revolution in Georgia, to bring “chaos and war” and “drag Georgia in the war [against Russia] as a second front”. For Georgian Dream, the UNM and its pro-western allies are extensions and representatives of this so-called Global War Party. Ivanishvili announced political repressions after the elections: “After the elections, they [UNM] will have to answer for all the crimes they committed during their time in power, especially for carrying out their instructions in 2008 and dragging the country into war…”.²⁵

17 July 2024

Opposition parties Lelo for Georgia, For the People and the newly launched Freedom Square announced at Europe Square they will join forces for the elections.²⁶ Lelo is the only one of the three which has representation in parliament. The party has been affiliated with the liberal pan-European ALDE party since 2022. For the People is a left leaning party founded by Ana Dolidze, an attorney, professor and former deputy minister of Defense in 2015-16.

Freedom Square was founded on 1 July 2024 by Levan Tsutskiridze, director of the Eastern European Centre for Multiparty Democracy (an independent branch of the NIMD). Tsutskiridze was one of the leaders in the protests of Spring 2024. In his founding statement Tsutskiridze said “the foundation of peace is justice and the most just system of government is democracy. We believe that EU membership is the best mechanism for fulfilling the historical aspirations and goals of our country, a guarantee of democratic, stable, and peaceful development of Georgia”.²⁷

19 July 2024

Former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia, leader of For Georgia, says his party will take part in the elections independently.²⁸ Earlier, rumours floated Gakharia’s party had approached Lelo for an alliance, which For Georgia MP Ana Buchukuri dismissed in July as lies.²⁹ In June, Gakharia had indicated in an interview he is open for cooperation with Lelo as it is the closest party to For Georgia. MP Buchukuri added the main goal of For Georgia is to prevent Georgian Dream and UNM of getting more than 50% of the vote combined.³⁰

24 July 2024

The opposition party Citizens led by MP Aleko Elisashvili is reportedly negotiating to join the opposition alliance of Lelo for Georgia, For the People, and Freedom Square.³¹ The alliance was reported to be named “For a Strong Georgia”.

25 July 2024

Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Georgia, Khatuna Samnidze, indicated she leans to cooperate with the alliance of Girchi-More Freedom, Droa and Akhali, while regretting Lelo did not decide to join this group. She said “we are all members of ALDE”, so “it is easy to communicate in terms of ideas”. She expressed confidence none of the opposition centers will have a problem passing the 5% threshold.³²

27 July 2024

UNM and Strategy Builder started their “regional tour” in the Samegrelo town of Tsalenjikha where the “Democracy Festival” (DemFest) was held. Prominent representatives were present, such as UNM party chair Tinatin Bokuchava, Petre Tsiskarishvili, Gia Japaridze and Sopo Japaridze, the representative of imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili, Giorgi Vashadze (Strategy Builder) and independent MP Tamuna Kordzaia (formerly Republicans).³³

DemFest promotes dialogue between community groups as well civic and political engagement. The festival is supported by the Eastern European Center for Multiparty Democracy (EECMD, formerly NIMD) and the Danish Institute of Parties and Democracy (DIPD) and is held in four successive weekends throughout Georgia.³⁴

Regional tour of "Unity", the alliance of United National Movement and Strategy Builder (photo by "Unity") — Regional tour of “Unity”, the alliance of United National Movement and Strategy Builder (photo by “Unity”)

28 July 2024

For Georgia MP Beka Liluashvili confirmed the party is in negotiations with “former members of Georgian Dream”, reiterating the party will run under its “own identity”.³⁵ He expressed confidence the party will manage to achieve “double digits”, as evidenced by “objective surveys”.

28 July 2024

A Formula TV commissioned Edison poll showed a further decrease of support for Georgian Dream to 32.4%, with pro-western opposition alliances gaining traction (see also under “Polling”).³⁶ According to the poll 72% made up their mind who to vote for. President Salome Zurabishvili received the highest approval rate (63%), while prime minister Kobakhidze received 35% approval, the least of the surveyed political leaders.³⁷ “It is time for another party to govern”, agreed 71% of the surveyed.

1 August 2024

The leader of European Georgia, Giga Bokeria, left the position of party-chair over strong disagreements about internal elections.³⁸ The party has yet to find an alliance to join, while it slips in the polls, well below the 5% mark.

1 August 2024

The “Strong Georgia” alliance between Lelo, For the People and Freedom Square kicked off their campaign on the evening of 1 August 2024 with their slogan “Real Alternative”. The group will use number 9 for their registration and party list number. Co-founder of Lelo, Mamuka Khazaradze, said the group will start meetings in the regions from 2 August to share their plans. They will present their election program in ten days.³⁹

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3 August 2024

Georgian Dream snubbed the DemFest event in Telavi, the second of four instances, and subsequently accused Denmark of “foreign influence” in the elections by sponsoring “pre-election agitation”. Denmark co-sponsors the Democracy Festival (DemFest) which is organized in Georgia by the Eastern European Center for Multiparty Democracy (EECMD, formerly NIMD). Most opposition parties presented themselves for interaction with the public in the fair (see also 27 July).

Parliament Speaker Papuashvili of Georgian Dream spoke of “political corruption”, stating “that several radical parties are conducting pre-election agitation with the funding of the Danish state. At the same time, the NGO, which organizes this event, is itself in politics, its members are in politics, and this raises doubts that we are dealing with political corruption”.⁴⁰

While snubbing the event, Georgian Dream effectively used it to highlight the need – in their eyes – for the “law on foreign influence”. Prime Minister Kobakhidze called DemFest the “festival of authoritarianism directly financed by foreign donors”.

4 August 2024

The political council of Akhali has determined their name for election participation to be in full “Coalition for Change – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa”, emphasising it includes the parties Girchi-More Freedom and Droa under the already known name “Coalition for Change”.⁴¹ Also, a women’s organization was created by the party.

5 August 2024

Mamuka Pipia, a leader of the pro-Kremlin party “Solidarity for Peace“, called for Georgian – Russian unity against the West and to restore diplomatic relations with Russia, which have been disrupted since 2008.⁴² He made the comments in Telavi on the anniversary of the Treaty of Georgievsk of 1783, which the East-Georgian kingdom Kartli-Kakheti signed with the Russian Empire, making the Georgian kingdom a Russian protectorate. The treaty paved the road for the Russian annexation of Transcaucasia, beginning in 1801 with Kartli-Kakheti.

The event in Telavi was attended by a dozen people. Pipia, who spoke in Russian, said the West tries to “destroy” the Russian civilization, “pushing Georgia into the abyss of war”, which the “small Caucasian country is resisting, trying to preserve itself and literally fighting for its physical survival”. He called on the Georgian society not to allow a “pro-Western revanche”, saying “it is time to restore the common security space” with Russia and to “restore the strategic alliance between Moscow and Tbilisi”.

Solidarity for Peace in Telavi 5 August 2024 (photo: screenshot Izvestia video)

In line with Kremlin and Georgian Dream rhetoric, he said that “anti-state forces prepare a coup” in Georgia, in effect dismissing any potential protest after the elections as foreign meddling. He also warned for the “disintegration and destruction of Georgia” in the case of a “coup”. In other words, similarly to the spirit of the 1783 Treaty, Russia should step in to mitigate chaos in such an “anti-constitutional” event.

Pipia and other leaders of the party were involved in promoting the restoration of flights between Russia and Georgia and they were on the first flight between Moscow and Tbilisi in May 2023. The flight ban was imposed in 2019 over the “Gavrilov Night” protests. Gavrilov is said to be close with Pipia.

The “Solidarity for Peace” organization was transformed into a party in December 2023. Merab Chikashvili became its chairman, Mikheil Zghenti the general secretary, Mamuka Pipia the international secretary, Temur Pipia, leader of the United Communist Party of Georgia, became the political secretary and lastly Temur Maisuradze the executive secretary.⁴³ Together with other groups within the “Union of Conservatives”, such as the far-right “Conservative Movement”, Solidarity for Peace strives for “military neutrality” of Georgia, in coordination with political stakeholders in Moscow.⁴⁴

6 August 2024

Speaker Shalva Papuashvili claimed “the electoral process is taking place amidst irregularities”, including “foreign interference”. He made the comment in relation to the DemFest on 3 August in Telavi, which was co-sponsored by Denmark and where campaign banners were found calling for the release of the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili.⁴⁵ Papuashvili elaborated that “the example of Denmark is the best example to show this. Radical [political] parties with foreign funding engage in campaigning”. He also claimed that observation organizations are involved in election campaigning, “a violation based on the principle of neutrality” he called out to them. He expressed “hope” that the OSCE/ODIHR mission “will reflect on this”.

With this, Georgian Dream went on a campaign trail to dismiss any (future) criticism on the elections from the NGO sector, foreign partners and others they see as adversaries as “foreign meddling”, either directly or indirectly through local stakeholders. The Eastern European Centre for Multiparty Democracy, the organizer of DemFest, responded to the criticism and called it a “smear campaign” that “does not correspond to the truth, and the attacks on the public meeting and the public directly reflect the spirit of the ‘Russian law'”.⁴⁶

9 August 2024

“Coalition for Change” opened regional outreach and campaign offices in Gori and Kaspi. They announced they will take part with election number 4.⁴⁷⁴⁸ In Kaspi, Droa leader Elene Khostaria went to the “Heidelberg” cement factory to talk about the problems of the locals that the factory causes. The company, owned by people related to Ivanishvili, is one of the most profitable in Georgia, but does not pay any taxes in the Kaspi municipality while causing local health problems and environmental pollution. Khostaria argued to the locals that with the help of the European Union factories and other enterprises can be equipped with modern technology for environmental protection.

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As promised earlier, the “Strong Georgia” alliance presented its election manifesto, called “Ilia’s Road”.⁴⁹ Among the first things that need to be done according to the program is to implement the nine recommendations of the EU, requiored for the start of accession talks. The next top priorities are jobs and the elderly people. The coalition proposes a 1,000 GEL pension (€ 340). Anna Dolidze emphasized the coalition will break with the past governing style that “has brought this hopelessness and massive emigration, youth drain and unemployment”. Another top priority is the independence of the judiciary and the reform of the Council of Justice, which are linked to the EU conditions.

11 August 2024

While opening a new office in Samtredia, Coalition for Change leader Melia was beaten by a young man.⁵⁰ The alliance opened on Sunday 11 August 2024 also local offices in Khoni and Vani (Imereti region) and discussed with locals about their plans for the region and Georgia. The party plans to open hundred offices in August. On Monday 12 August, the party opened offices in Racha-Lechkhumi (Tsageri, Ambrolauri, Oni) and Imereti (Tkibuli).⁵¹

12 August 2024

After weeks of hesitation, “Citizens”, decided to join the Lelo-centered “Strong Georgia” alliance. The announcement was made at a public event on Gudiashvili Square on the old centre of Tbilisi. Citizens leader Aleko Elisashvili said he had “an unpleasant incident” in the past with Mamuka Khazaradze, founder and leader of Lelo, but “it is time for reconciliation”.⁵²

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Meanwhile, Davit Katsarava, known from the anti-occupation movement “Strength in Unity”, presented the party “Us” (ჩვენ, Chven). He said it is a “political force that unites professionals in their field and those civil activists who have never retreated in the fight for the well-being of the country”.⁵³⁵⁴ The party was formally founded on 23 August.⁵⁵ The party is a rename of “Free choice – a new alternative”, founded in 2021 and led by Giorgi Pataridze.⁵⁶ The party received enough supportive signatures for registration for the elections and received election number 23. In July, the United National Movement announced Katsarava joined their “Unity” platform.⁵⁷

14 August 2024

Former European Georgia leaders announced they established a new party, the “Federalists“, with a founding presentation on 15 August 2024.⁵⁸ Tamara Chergoleishvili said they will focus on participating in the local elections in 2025, and suggested skipping the parliamentary elections. She explained federalism is a “natural arrangement of European countries, including Georgia”, while a centralized state organization is “borrowed from Russia”. Chergoleishvili elaborated on the motive for the name of the party:

“Federalism is not only a territorial arrangement, it is the best system for balancing and restraining power – no one can escape from such a system. In one word – federalism is the key to our national and individual problems, this is how we will return home to Europe and that’s why we named the party like that.”

The party won’t be able to take part in the parliamentary elections independently, as the deadline for that was 15 July.⁵⁹ However, the party can join any of the coalitions, on which the party will give more clarity at their party congress in September.

15 August 2024

At the opening of the campaign headquarters of Strong Georgia, Davit Gamkrelidze was presented as the head of the office. Gamkrelidze is a former leader of the New Rights party, but he left politics in 2012 when his party did not win any seats in parliament. Before that he was elected in Parliament in 1999 for Shevardnadzes Citizens Union, when he broke away and ultimately founded the New Rights party. In 2004 he headed the opposition against Saakashvili, and after the 2008 elections he and 9 others refused to take their mandate.⁶⁰

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze presented 22 of a total of 30 regional “delegates” of Georgian Dream the party announced earlier. In a variation on the abolished majoritarian district system, the party chose to work with regional candidates which will become the linchpin between parliament and the regions, leading the campaign in their informal constituency. Kobakhdize ensured all 30 delegates will get an electable place on the list to ensure “at least all cities and regions will have their representatives, thereby partially eliminating the drawback associated with the abolition of the majoritarian system”.⁶¹ On 23 August, Kobakhidze presented the remaining eight delegates, representing the different districts of capital Tbilisi.⁶²

17 August 2024

The remainder of European Georgia decided to join the Unity coalition of UNM, after part of the party split and formed the “Federalists” (see below). This was announced at the coalition congress on 17 August 2024.⁶³ Since its split, European Georgia is led by Gigi Tsereteli, its founder. The party had its origins as a split from UNM in early 2017, shortly after the 2016 elections.

18 August 2024

At the coalition briefing in Zugdidi of the Coalition for Change, the chair of the Republican Party of Georgia Khatuna Samnidze announced she joins the coalition. Also the civic group Activists for the Future joined the coalition.⁶⁴ Samnidze, who suffered a serious illness in the previous period, said “I decided to be with people with whom I can dialogue, discuss, argue, agree and jointly manage the country so that people are the main focus of this country. I have won my personal battle, I have overcome illness, I have gone through a lot of suffering. Now it’s time to heal the country and we will do it together with Coalition 4”.⁶⁵

Khatuna Samnidze joins Coalition for Change (photo: Coalition for Change)

20 August 2024

In a lengthy statement the political council of Georgian Dream set out why the party wants to achieve the constitutional majority of 75% in parliament, an ambition party officials frequently stated. The statement opened by marking that the elections “are a kind of referendum, where the Georgian people must finally decide whether they choose war or peace, moral degradation or traditional values, Georgia’s slavish dependence on external forces or an independent and sovereign state, the collective National Movement or the Georgian Dream”. This sentence summarized the four key priorities why the constitutional majority is needed according to the party – which are:⁶⁶

GD plans to initiate legal proceedings that will declare the United National Movement and “all its satellite and successor parties” as unconstitutional (ie. all pro-western opposition parties). Georgian Dream alleges these parties have foreign “patrons” and that these need to be removed in order to purify Georgian democracy and make it “healthy”. Without this, the party alleges, Georgia will not be able to “hold full-fledged elections”. The October elections “must become a political verdict akin to that of Nuremberg for the National Movement, which will create a solid foundation for the relevant legal process”.
The majority is required to adopt the already initiated constitutional law “On Family Values and the Protection of Minors”, which will “strengthen the protection of family values and minors at the highest, constitutional level”. With this law LGBTI “propaganda” will be banned from schools and mainstream media, same-sex marriages will be banned as wel as doption of children by same-sex couples, transgender operations will be banned.
Upon restoration of the territorial integrity (ie – the occupied territories have been returned under Georgian control), the constitution stipulates to make arrangements, such as creating a bicameral parliament and formalizing the state configuration. Georgian Dream says the constitutional majority is required “to rule out the obstruction of the required constitutional amendments”.
And lastly, the protection of Georgia’s identity and national values, on which Georgian Dream will state their position by the end of August.

The statement makes no misunderstanding possible about the intentions of Georgian Dream after the elections. The party plans to reduce Georgian democracy akin Russia’s with a tolerated minor opposition within the narrow bandwidth that suits Georgian Dream. According to the Abkhazian JamNews editor Inal Khashig, the territorial integrity reason of Georgian Dream to have a constitutional majority might have to do with the creation of a confederation state model, in exchange for Georgian recognition of Abkhazia.⁶⁷.

Constitutional expert Vakhtang Khmaladze suspects Georgian Dream’s silent intention is to erase Article 78 on Euro-Transatlantic integration from the constitution.⁶⁸ Three days later, GD prime minister Kobakhidze vowed article 78 won’t be touched, and said that something else will be announced later, when “relevant consultations are successfully completed”.⁶⁹

21 August 2024

The CEC clarified the procedure for submitting the candidate list and confirmed candidates cannot put themselves in name of their party on another party’s list as result of the cancellation of electoral blocs in the election code.⁷⁰ These candidates have to abandon their original party. Every candidate has to submit their party affiliation, indicating party membership of the submitted list, and has to indicate whether they are a party- or non-party candidate.

The three main opposition coalitions decided to change the name of the leading party in the respective coalitions, in order to emphasize the unification. UNM already finished the proces of the name change to “Unity – National Movement”, while Lelo is in the process of changing its registered name to “Strong Georgia – an effort, for the people, for freedom” and Akhali to “Coalition for change – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa”.⁷¹

21 August 2024

In a campaign event in Mtskheta, the entire Georgian Dream leadership, including Bidzina Ivanishvili, confirmed the Georgian Dream statement of a day before, elaborating that the elections will be a “choice between war and peace”, “slavery and independence”, “moral degradation and Christian values” and “the dark past and the bright European future”.⁷² Ivanishvili addressed the audience from behind a bullet-proof glass wall, coined an “aquarium”, projecting his life is under active threat, which Georgian Dream has been messaging since the assassination attempts on Slovak prime minister Fico and former US president Trump. This led to much scorn from the opposition.⁷³

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23 August 2024

In a further elaboration on the proposed banning of the UNM, prime minister Kobakhidze stated that in such a scenario it would be very logical the mandates of any elected UNM MP would be terminated as well.⁷⁴ He said their surveys indicated only UNM would be able to pass the 5% threshold, meaning that after banning UNM there would be one-party rule. Kobakhidze also specified which parties should be considered under the slogan “collective National Movement” and should be banned.⁷⁵

Indeed, as anticipated by many commenters, the entire pro-Western opposition: United National Movement, its coalition partners Strategy Agmashenebeli and European Georgia, the Coalition for Change parties Akhali, Girchi-MF and Droa, the Strong Georgia coalition parties Lelo, Citizens, For the People, Freedom Square, and last but not least, former GD PM Gakharia’s For Georgia because he is in coalition with UNM in four muncipalities. Kobakhidze said banning “political parties is a democratic process” that happens in Ukraine and Moldova, which “has received very positive assessments, including from the European Union”.⁷⁶

23 August 2024

The party “Us” (ჩვენ, Chven), led by Davit Katsarava known from the anti-occupation movement “Strength in Unity”, presented their team for the pre-election period and their participation in the elections: film firector Kakha Gogidze, civic activist Khatia Bakuradze, philosopher and political scientist Gigisha Pataridze, human rights activist and lawyer Mikheil Ramishvili, military expert Akia Barbakadze and Lasha Kvlividze, one of the leaders of the youth movement and civic activist.⁷⁷

In a statement the party said “it is unequivocally clear that Georgian Dream is a violent, Russian interests-carrying force whose task is to establish a Russian dictatorship in Georgia. That’s why, on October 26, we should all be able to get the “dream” out of the government! We know and believe that the struggle always makes sense! Our strength is in unity!”

26 August 2024

Russia’s foreign intelligence service SVR claimed the US is plotting a color revolution in Georgia.⁷⁸ With this statement, the agency attempts to influence the elections and its domestic and international fall-out, as well as dismissing beforehand any critical assessment of the elections as a western attempt of initiating a revolution. Not to mention disowning the Georgians of their destiny, agency and right to protest – as an act of foreign agency.

According to the SVR, the US White House is “extremely dissatisfied with the landscape in Georgia” ahead of the parliamentary elections and therefore is “preparing a color revolution in Georgia, a Tbilisi Maidan”. The agency said the Georgian opposition forces are “controlled by Washington” but remain fragmented “despite American efforts [to unite them]”. The alleged plot involves making public evidence of vote rigging, declaring the non-recognition of the election results and demanding a change of power. This should trigger mass protests, during which the police would be provoked into forceful suppression of the protests, according to the SVR. In parallel the Americans are allegedly working out options for a “ruthless” political and economic response to the “excessive” use of force by the authorities against “peaceful citizens”.

The SVR claimed also that “Georgian pro-Western non-governmental organizations are recruiting a large number of people to closely monitor the voting process”, who “are tasked with identifying and recording ‘imminent facts’ of the authorities’ use of administrative resources even if they do not exist”. The plot, the SVR claims, would also involve “local opposition youth associations, which are expected to become the ‘locomotive’ of post-election protests”, funded by Washington. The head of the SVR Sergei Naryshkin said the SVR went public in order to “prevent attempts to carry out a ‘color revolution’ in Georgia”.⁷⁹

27 August 2024

President Salome Zurabishvili officially decreed the elections for 26 October 2024.⁸⁰ This was a formality in line with the constitution, as it stipulates the scheduled parliamentary elections take place on the last Saturday of October in the year the parliamentary term expires, which she formally has to decree. Zurabishvili called the elections of 2024 of “existential” importance – stressing that “we are not dealing with normal elections”, but “with saving the future of the country”. The choice made by the citizens “will determine the fate of the country for many years to come”, she said. Zurabishvili rebuked the ruling party’s campaign slogan that the elections are “between war and peace”. She said that it is a lie and that no one choses war over peace, while at the same time elections cannot reduce the risks of war: “on the contrary, isolation, internal divisions, vagueness and ambiguity of goals and priorities are precisely what increase the enemy’s [Russia’s] appetite, that is, the threat of war”.

28 August 2024

Lelo for Georgia finalized the formal rename of the party to “Strong Georgia: Lelo, for the people, for freedom!” (“ძლიერი საქართველო: ლელო, ხალხისთვის, თავისუფლებისთვის!”). The new name is in line with the name of the coalition, which is centered around Lelo and includes For the People, Freedom and Citizens. The party Citizens joined the coalition after Lelo initiated the process at the election authorities for the change of the name, hence it was not included in the new name.⁸¹

29 August 2024

Independent MP Teona Akubardia announced she joined the party For Georgia led by Giorgi Gakharia for the elections and became a member. She motivated here decision that “it is impossible to defeat Ivanishvili and win Georgia [back] without ‘Gakharia for Georgia’.” She added that the “moderation, honesty of this political team and my experience of cooperation with them at the parliamentary level” contributed to her decision. Party leader Gakharia confirmed the effective cooperation and that the inclusion of Akubardia in his team is a “logical continuation” of that. Akubardia was originally elected in 2020 on the list of “Strategy Agmashenebeli”, but left the party in October 2022 to become an independent, remaining part of the Reforms Group faction, that combined various liberal forces in parliament.⁸²

31 August 2024

PM and Georgian Dream campaign leader Irakli Kobakhidze announced the party will present its election program on 1 October, saying “it will be the only program that is both ambitious and feasible”.⁸³ The election campaign of Georgian Dream travelled to Guria in this weekend. In Ozurgeti, Bidzina Ivanishvil and all party leaders, gave acte de presence, reiterating the earlier voiced talking points on the importance of protecting Georgian (Christian) identity and sovereignty against foreign forces – meaning western liberal values.

In the previous days, Georgian Dream failed to convince the public and Church leaders of the case for their fourth ambition with the constitutional majority: to make the Orthodoxy a state religion. Church leaders discussed this would actually undermine the church, fearing state influence. In Ozurgeti, Georgian Dream played deaf ears and pushed their plan to give Orthodoxy a more special place in the constitution, without specifying, for the sake of protecting Georgian Christian identity – the nativist message box of Georgian Dream this year.⁸⁴ Also, the importance of “anti-LGBTI propaganda” legislation was emphasized, as a means against an alleged imminent and very urgent threat of conquest (of liberal values) which could “destroy the Georgian nation in just a few generations”.⁸⁵

1 September

Registration of parties was finalized. A total of 27 election subjects were registered for the elections (see below at Registered parties). Parties can submit their candidate lists until 26 September 2024.

4 September

Two Tbilisi city council members of the UNM were arrested in the evening of 4 September.⁸⁶ Earlier on that day, Georgian Dream leaders, including Prime Minister Kobakhidze, warned opposition leaders “may face attacks”.⁸⁷

On the same evening, the Unity – National Movement coalition presented their five priorities for the elections:⁸⁸

“Yes to Europe!” – the coalition promised to “immediately” return to the process of Georgia’s accession to the EU. The coalition also promised to repeal the “foreign agents” law, as well as to sign a free trade agreement with the United States and achieve a visa-free regime with the US;
“Income growth” – the coalition promises to attract investment and eliminate corruption – “creating tens of thousands of new, decent jobs”, while raising average salaries to 3,500 lari;
“Protection of pensioners” – the coalition wants to cancel pension loans and increase old-age pensions to 1,000 lari with the help of foreign donors;
“Strengthening the Georgian Family” – the coalition wants to address the “demographic catastrophe” the country is facing, by providing childbirth benefits to all “needy families” and improving the conditions of schoolchildren and students with a free lunch program and building new dormitories. Also, it wants to promote emigrants to return to their homeland.
“Victory over the price mafia” – The coalition wants to “restore competitive market conditions” by combating “business monopolies cultivated by the state”. These monopolies were created to “enrich Ivanishvili’s clan” at the expense of the Georgian people, the coalition said.

ISFED, Georgia’s leading election watchdog, released their “Pre-election Monitoring Report” – on the so-called “unofficial campaign period” from 1 June to 27 August.⁸⁹ The report covers the polarization in the country, fueled by the ruling party’s anti-western conspiracy rhetoric and its plans to outlaw the opposition, controversial changes to the election rules, awareness campaigns by the CEC and political donations.⁹⁰

7 September

According to UNM chair for the Zugdidi branch Ana Tsitlidze, all 560 elected Precinct Election Commission (PEC) members are affiliated one way or another with ruling Georgian Dream, compromising free and fair elections. She also said chair Miranda Meskhi of the District Election Commission (DEC) of the Zugdidi election district receives direct instructions from the Georgian State Securiry Services.

“According to the law, they should be free from the influence of any party, but the District Election Commission showed us once again that they are not going to hold free elections in this country. This is a crime that originates from the head of the district, Miranda Meskhi, who, in turn, receives direct assignments from the State Security Service”.⁹¹

The 560 PEC members could not be appointed in a first vote, requiring a 2/3 majority in the DEC. Due to recent changes in the voting procedure (see section Gender quotas and due process election code), they were appointed in a second vote requiring a simple majority (50%+1).

8 September

30 civil society organisations united to create an election observation mission under the name “My Voice” (“ჩემი ხმა”, chemi khma). Among them are leading NGOs such as Transparency International, IDFI, TDI, iFact, DRI and others. The collective will also monitor the elections in polling stations abroad.⁹²

In the same weekend, various incidents were reported against opposition members. In Kareli a campaign event of “Strong Georgia” was disturbed by verbal and physical assault. Reportedly, the police did not intervene.⁹³ In Anaklia, the car of a student movement activist was vandalized.⁹⁴

10 September

In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, president Salome Zurabishvili said she is “ready to take on greater responsibility, including a second term, to return Georgia to the European path”. She said this within the context of the situation in Georgia, the foreign agent law and her “Georgian Charter” proposal for an interim government after the elections.⁹⁵ She indicated the pro-western opposition should be able to win a majority of the vote, 50-60%, while ruling Georgian would not secure more than 25% according to her. She emphasised the paradoxical situation that Georgia has never been this close to Europe, yet being pulled away from that by the ruling party.

Georgian Dream presented the top-20 candidates on their election list. For the first time since the founding of Georgian Dream in 2012, founder Bidzina Ivanishvili will top the list. The top-5 is completed by prime minister Irakli Kobakhdize, party chair Irakli Garibashvili, parliament chair Shalva Papuashvili and faction leader Mamuka Mdinaradze.⁹⁶⁹⁷ Others on the list include Tea Tsulukiani (minister of Culture), Mariam Kvrivishvili (deputy minister of Economy), Maka Bochorishvili (MP, chair of the European integration committee), Nikoloz Samkharadze (MP, chair of the foreign affairs committee), Sozar Subari (MP, leader of Peoples Power party) and Olympic sportsmen Lasha Talakhadze and Geno Petriashvili.

Georgian Dream recognized the challenge against their rule from the opposition and emphasized the elections of 2024 are “in some ways more significant than the elections in 2012” when the Georgian Dream party came into power, which is why Ivanishvili tops the list for the first time.⁹⁸

12 September

The OSCE-ODIHR began its election observation mission headed by Eoghan Murphy, with the first deployment its long-term observers (LTO).⁹⁹ The team consists of 12 international experts based in Tbilisi and 30 long-term observers from various OSCE member states. The mission will be complemented with a 350 short-term observers (STO) to observe the election day 26 October 2024.¹⁰⁰ The total number of deployed observers is in line with previous parliamentary elections in Georgia.

13 September

Georgia’s anti-corruption agency was allowed by the Tbilisi City Court to start an investigation into the “Vote for Europe” movement and to access personal data and bank account information of the founders of the movement.¹⁰¹ The organization was inaugurated in July 2024 by the president, to bring civil society representatives together to “protect Georgia’s European future, independence, and freedom”.¹⁰² The organization’s mission was to mobilize Georgian citizens and the diaspora abroad and was aimed to raise the turnout of the pro-Western electorate.

The lawyer of “Vote for Europe” said the court decision is “absolutely unfair”, as the law only allows such an investigation into these personal details if the person has a stated electoral purpose. According to lawyer Kakha Kozhoridze the organization and its involved individuals cannot be considered to have a stated electoral purpose, as they do not participate in the elections or seek power.

16-20 September

President Salome Zurabishvili has invited leader of Lelo for Georgia, Mamuka Khazaradze, of the “Strong Georgia” coalition, and leader Giorgi Gakharia of For Georgia to her residence to seal a coalition agreement between the two opposition forces.¹⁰³ Earlier in the summer of 2024, rumors were spread the two parties were in talks of an alliance, with Gakharia emphasizing the ideological similarity.

Publicly Lelo kept distance and denied it was seeking cooperation with Gakharia. In late July, immediately after an arbitration court ruling denied Khazaradze a claim of 1 billion USD from the state for the termination of the Anaklia port project in 2020, Gakharia called out Khazaradze and Lelo, suggesting a final rift. Zurabishvili empasized on 16 September that the “Strong Georgia” bloc and For Georgia have the power “to create an impetus in society for full mobilization”.

After days of going back and forth, Giorgi Gakharia decided not to join the Strong Georgia alliance, blaming internal disagreement within the Lelo party of String Georgia.¹⁰⁴ Reportedly some Strong Georgia coalition partners were reluctant to associate with Gakharia because of his controversial past (20 June 2019 protests and Gakharia’s handling of that as Interior Minister), as well as difficulties in agreeing on demands by Gakharia on “parity” between his party and the coalition.

A day after the break, Gakharia reflected on the situation and said he should not have started the negotiations so short before the elections and the deadline for the candidate lists (26 September). He said that giving up the demand of a “neutral platform” encouraged the other side (Lelo) to get greedy in their demands.¹⁰⁵ He laid out three principles to resume negotiations with Strong Georgia: a neutral platform (not number 9 – Lelo or 25 – For Georgia for the election list); fair parity in decision making and excluding any coalition with either Georgian Dream and UNM.¹⁰⁶

Meanwhile, Mamuka Khazaradze of Lelo said Gakharia posed impossible demands, while they agreed on nine concrete points: parity in the top 20 of the candidate list between Lelo and Gakharia’s For Georgia, Gakharia and Khazaradze would both not be a candidate for the elections, unification of the party programs, no coalition with Georgian Dream, among other organizational things.¹⁰⁷

23 September

After the failed talks on an alliance with Strong Georgia (see below), the For Georgia party led by Giorgi Gakharia signed the Georgian Charter, an initiative launched by the president in June 2024 to commit pro-western opposition parties to a united post-election strategy and plan.¹⁰⁸ For Georgia was the last remining main opposition party to join the charter. Gakharia refused to join the charter so far for “neutrality” purposes – not being associated with the UNM and other parties that Georgian Dream consider a branch of UNM. However, Georgian Dream already put Gakharia in the same bucket, rendering Gakharia’s initial strategy useless.

24 September

Georgia’s anti-corruption agency declared the NGOs Transparency International and “Vote for Europe” movement as entities ‘with a declared electoral goal’ and should therefore be held in compliance with the election code. They were ordered to submit financial declarations to the Bureau within five days.¹⁰⁹ The chair of the agency cited Chapter 3 of Georgia’s law ‘on political associations of citizens’, which subjects political organisations to financial scrutiny, explicitly referring to political parties or ‘electoral subjects’. According to the agency this step was necessary based on the involvement of the said NGOs in a (political) campaign against another political party (Georgian Dream) and in favour of other parties (the opposition).

TI responded by saying the request lacked a factual and legal basis and claimed it was aimed at ‘persecuting an election observer group’. GYLA and ISFED issued a joint statement condemning the step as “unlawful”,¹¹⁰ with the agency “overstepping its mandate”,¹¹¹ and aimed at “restricting free speech”. The watchdogs alleged “this interpretation of the law sets a dangerous precedent for its use to restrict freedom of speech and expression”.¹¹²

Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili alleged foreigners are propping up the opposition campaign and accuses unspecified foreigners of meddling in the elections and setting the agenda of the opposition.¹¹³ Papuashvili said this in light of presenting the Georgian Dream report “Foreign Interference in the Electoral Process”.

25 September

Akhali and Coalition for Change leader Nika Gvaramia announced he will not stand for election for Parliament, saying he wants to make room for new people.¹¹⁴ Gvaramia was elected in Georgia’s parliament in 2004 and was a prosecutor general and cabinet minister during Saakashvili’s government in the period of 2007 – 2009. He said he will remain leader of the coalition and its campaign and that he won’t seek a government position, in line with the Georgian Charter the party and coalition signed.

Gakharia for Georgia presented the top-29 of their candidate list. Former PM and party leader Giorgi Gakharia tops the list, followed by Natia Mezvrishvili, the former chief of staff of PM Gakharia. The list is a mix of MPs, such as Teona Akubardia who recently joined For Georgia, former MPs, local politicians, scientists and lawyers. The highest placed candidate nominally from another party is the former deputy chair of Parliament, Zviad Dzidziguri on number 5, who is the chairman of the Conservative Party.¹¹⁵

Giga Bokeria, former leader of European Georgia and co-founder of the “Federalists” said the latter will not take part in the elections. He cited the deadline to register the party for the elections, even though they were offered the party registration of another party and to jointly run on their list. Bokeria said they declined the offer. He called their supporters to take part in the elections and vote for one of the other pro-Western parties.¹¹⁶

Former president Giorgi Margvelashvili (2013-2018) joined the “Strong Georgia” alliance. This was presented in Gori, where Strong Georgia held a campaign event.¹¹⁷ Meanwhile, Georgian Dream’s longest serving cabinet member, Culture minister Tea Tsulukiani, resigned from her post, citing she wants to prepare for her role as MP. She is on the sixth position on the Georgian Dream candidate list.¹¹⁸

26 September

On the evening of the expiration of the deadline for the submission of the candidate lists, the central election commission CESKO announced 19 out of the 27 accepted parties had submitted a list.¹¹⁹¹²⁰ Citizens, For the People and the Green Party withdrew their registration for the elections and did not submit candidate lists. The first two parties are part of the “Strong Georgia” coalition and take part under their common registration (#9), with candidates on the united candidate list.

The Green Party released a statement on their Facebook page on 24 September 2024,¹²¹ saying they “refuse to participate in the elections” as there was no point if the media ignores the party. The party expressed their disappointment with Georgian media coverage about their work in times when “Russia or European Union” is on the table. “In such unequal and unfair conditions, it is incredible to hold an election campaign and to overcome the 5% barrier!” The Green Party was one of the founding members of the European Green Party, which they say illustrates they are “closely integrated into the European political system”.

Five other parties also declined to submit a candidate list, among them Strategy Builder and European Georgia, which are part of the Unity coalition (#5). The Social Democratic Party submitted a candidate list, but was withdrawn from the registration upon final registration by 8 October 2024.¹²²

Earlier on 26 September, the main parties presented their top candidates. Georgian Dream published the full list of 170 candidates. On 10 September they already published the top-20.¹²³ Three quart of the parliamentary faction of Georgian Dream (55 out of 74 MPs) were electable again and were positioned in the top half of the list (up to #92). Also all nine MPs of People Power, who split from Georgian Dream in 2022, were on the list, well in place to be elected (#11, leader Sozar Subari, #18, #31, and #50-55). The most notable drop-out is MP Archil Talakvadze, who was #2 during the 2020 elections, and served as chair of parliament from 2019 to 2021.

Coalition for Change presented their top 20 of the list, which is headed by Nana Malashkhia, a civil servant from the Tbilisi City Hall, who became famous for carrying the EU flag while resisting a water cannon during the March 2023 protests.¹²⁴ Akhali leader Nika Gvaramia volunteered not to be on the list, but his co-leader Nika Melia5 is number 2. On the third place is Zurab Japaridze, leader of Girchi – More Freedom, and Helene Khoshtaria, leader of Droa is on number 16. Leader of the Republican Party and MP Khatuna Samnidze is placed on number 9. Other candidates include city council members, civil servants, scientists, lawyers and a former constitutional court judge. Eight of the top 20 are women, while 11 of the first 20 are from Akhali party, three from Girchi and two from Droa.

Strong Georgia presented their top-26 candidate list, which is led by Lelo founder Mamuka Khazaradze.¹²⁵ On number two is Ana Dolidze, leader of the For the People party, followed by Lelo co-counder Badri Japaridze and Lelo MP Ana Natsvlishvili. Freedom Square founder Levan Tsutskiridze comletes the top-5. Most of the list are Lelo associated members, with Ketevan Turazashvili the highest ranking Citizens candidate on #7.

A notable senior candidate for Strong Georgia is Pikria Chikhradze (#14) who was a three time MP in the period 1995-2008, for Shevardnadzes Citizens Union (1995-1999) and New Rights party (1999-2008), while having been elected for a fourth term but boycotted her mandate. She worked for president Margvelashvili (2013-2018) and then made the New Rights join newly found Lelo.

Other notable candidates for Strong Georgia are MP Salome Samadashvili (Lelo, elected in 2020 as UNM member), Citizens founder and MP Aleko Elisashvili on #20 and the international secretary of Lelo Grigil gegelia on #12. Absent is Davit Usupashvili, current Lelo MP, former leader and MP of the Republicans and former chair of parliament (2012-2016).

The Unity – National Movement coalition also presented the top of their list, which is headed by UNM leader and MP Tinatin Bokuchava.¹²⁶ In their top-22 are eleven sitting MPs and various leading figures from civil society and science. Leaders of the alliance members Strategy Agmashenebeli (Giorgi Vashadze) and European Georgia (Gigi Tsereteli) are among the top placed candidates.

The Alliance of Patriots and Alt-Info presented the top of their combined list, headed by Patriots leader and former Patriots MP Irma Inashvili.¹²⁷ The top 3 was completed by her fellow former MPs Giorgi Lomia and Gocha Tevdoradze. They were MPs in the period 2016-2020. The Patriots offered Alt-Info to join their list for the 2024 elections, as Alt-Info’s party registration “Conservative Movement” was cancelled by the CEC, allegedly due to a feud with Georgian Dream. Another like-minded party offered their registration, but this was blocked by the authorities as well.

The top-20 of the Patriots list has mostly Alt-Info associates, the former chair Levan Chachua of Georgian Idea, a similar group and one member of the Christian-Democratic Movement, Gocha Jojua. The Alliance of Patriots doesn’t poll more than a few percent, too little for the 5% threshold. One of the Alt-Info associates has been sanctioned by the United States.

The Labour Party presented their top-10 candidates alongside their mobile phone numbers. Apart from party leader Shalva Natelashvili heading the list, the rest of the top-10 contains party organization leaders, including Natelashvili’s son Beka, who is municipality council member in Dusheti and the party’s international secretary.¹²⁸

CESKO said 60 precincts in 42 countries will be opened, more than in previous elections. Among the countries where no precincts were opened in previous elections are the United Arab Emirates, Finland, (South) Korea, Japan, and Australia (see also Appendix 4 at the bottom of the page for the entire list).¹²⁹ CESKO criticized the politicization of the subject by activists and diaspora groups.

26 September

Georgian Dream launched a much criticized poster campaign, portraying the pro-Western opposition as warmongers and Georgian Dream as the peace party. Georgian Dream did that with photos from war-torn and destructed Ukraine, labeling them with “no to war” text and crossed out numbers of the opposition 4, 5, 9 and 25, referring to respectively “Coalition for Change“, “Unity – National Movement“, “Strong Georgia” and Gakharia For Georgia. This was sided with a photo of peaceful Georgian cities, monuments and churches showing number 41 of Georgian Dream and “choose peace”. The bomb shell campaign move caused public outcry, because of the very controversial use of Ukrainian war visuals.¹³⁰

President Zurabishvili spoke of shame: “I have never seen anything so disgraceful, so offensive to our culture, traditions, history, and faith… Where are you? What a pathetic act to present a poster created in the KGB’s forge to your people, showing such a lack of dignity and shame!”¹³¹ The Ukrainian ministry of Foreign Affairs also strongly expressed their dismay over the “war and peace” campaign visuals and stated it “considers unacceptable the use of images of the horrific consequences of Russia’s ruthless war against Ukraine, the suffering and blood of thousands of innocent people, the destruction of shrines and the cultural heritage of humanity in political advertising.”¹³²

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1 October

Transparency International Georgia said that due to the decision of the anti-corruption agency to declare the NGO an entity ‘with a declared electoral goal’ (see 24 September), it will not be able to register as an election observer – for the first time in 25 years.¹³³ Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze appealed to the anti-corru[ption agency to reconsider the decision on the ‘electoral goal’ verdict. He motivated that cynically “in order to [preserve] state interests and avoid external manipulation in the election process”, ie “foreign influence”. Kobakhidze alleges TI is a foreign controlled organization and it would be less “harmful” if it is just considered an NGO than a party with political aims.

7 October

Georgian Dream strongly denied claims – they suggested themselves – they are considering forming a confederate state with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, after nearly two months of silence since they first hinted on this.¹³⁴ On 20 August (see below) suggestive remarks in this direction were part of Georgian Dream’s four priorities for which they would want to achieve a constitutional majority. Ever since, the party leadership remained vague about any concrete implementation and crucial steps such as dialogue with the occupied territories and Moscow. Many commenters suggested Georgian Dream had backroom talks with Moscow in order to make the reunification with the occupied territories. Moscow was eager to offer “help” in the process.¹³⁵

7 October

On the day their candidate list was published by the Central Election Commission, three leading figures of Chven (“Us”), a new party led by anti-occupation activist Davit Katsarava, announced they will leave the party and thus will not stand for elections.¹³⁶ The three men, Akia Barbakadze, Kakha Gogidze and Katsarava himself, said in a statement external challenges but also internal disagreement on the “desired goal” drove them to leave the party. Gogidze and Katsarava were placed on number 3 and 6 respectively on the officially registered candidate list by the CEC. Chven, presented only in August, polled around 1%, with little perspective to close the gap to the 5% threshold. The initial candidate list had 50 candidates, but a total of nine candidates withdrew, among them also top candidate Lizi Ramishvili, leaving 41 candidates on the revised candidate list (see “registered parties” overview).¹³⁷

11 October

The OSCE released an interim report on the pre-election period.¹³⁸¹³⁹ It highlighted the elections wil take place in a context of “entrenched political polarization, continued political tension, opposition distrust in state institutions and concerns about protection of the right to association and expression”. The report also noted the election code has been amended over 20 times since 2022. While some earlier changes addressed ODIHR recommendations, the hushed through changes in 2024 “were adopted without sufficient public consultation or consensus, and raised concerns about their impact”. Concerns were also raised over the “simplified decision-making process of the CEC, the removal of the opposition-appointed deputy chairperson and the new appointment method of its members, [which] could negatively impact the impartiality of the election administration”.

The report furthermore noted the female representation in elected positions remains low, “despite constitutional provisions requiring the state to take special measures to ensure gender equality”. In 2024, amendments to the election code, initialized by Girchi (New Political Center) and supported by Georgian Dream, abolished the mandatory gender quota for candidate lists and other legislative measures aimed at increasing women’s political participation. Women led three out of 18 lists and around 29 per cent of candidates are women.

12 October

President Salome Zurabishvili confirmed she will present before the elections a composition of the technical government as she committed to with the Georgian Charter. She called on the four main opposition alliances to confirm their commitment to this part of the Georgian Charter.¹⁴⁰ She expressed her sense of responsibility for this process and stressed she will keep her word both to her Georgian political partners and to Georgian society. During her visits to European capitals Zurabishvili met with European leaders and received their promise that if the Charter is fulfilled and they see the political will, Georgia will be immediately returned to the EU path and the point of EU accession negotiations.

15 October

According to documents obtained by Batumelebi, Georgian Dream has been processing in their party offices “detailed personal data of tens of thousands of people“, in relation to the elections.¹⁴¹ The data can be used to intimidate and coerce voters. The data includes private details such as drugs addiction, health problems, party support, criminal record, profession or business activities, employment status, whether a person is socially vulnerable, whether a citizen has used or is dependent on social benefits etc. In other words, data that is strictly protected by the Personal Data Protection Act and in this extent is only allowed to be held by government agencies.

Documents show the data is provided by the ministries of Justice, Health, Education, Internal Affairs, Agriculture and Finance. These ministries act in violation of the data protection law by providing the ruling party with material that makes thousands of citizens liable to coercion by blackmail and a certain degree of kompromat. It also shows the level of integration between the government agencies and Georgian Dream. The personal data is linked to the voter registration and the precinct voters list. This data is cross-linked with door-to-door data of Georgian Dream of previous years on party support – including undecided voters – clearly to identify weak links.

The amassing of this data is a clear indication Georgian Dream is not confident on winning the elections by fair play, and can only do so by coercing vulnerable parts of society. It illustrates the level of “managed elections” by Georgian Dream and it shows the level of state capture under Georgian Dream’s rule.

19 October

After various reports from the regions surfaced that local authorities in coordination with Georgian Dream branches confiscated ID cards from voters, Netgazeti made an elaborate report on the subject.¹⁴² The idea behind the confiscation seemed to be that known opposition voters will be blocked to vote by this. According to Ana Tsitlidze, the chair of the Zugdidi branch of UNM, not only opposition voters were targeted but also voters who didn’t know yet for which party they would vote. In other words whose support for Georgian Dream was not clear.

The whole state security apparatus was allegedly involved in coordination with the Georgian Dream party and local representatives. The ID cards were taken away by intimidation and bribery. These concerned mostly vulnerable people, also involving the wider ring of relatives who were pressured into this, especially if one family member had something embarrassing up their sleeves. Prime targets were people dependent on social benefits, who could easily be pressed into giving away their ID or else lose their benefits. According to the report, this scheme worked well in the villages, where everyone knows each other and their political positioning is known by local GD party representatives.

Not only was this practice detected by UNM branches in Zugdidi and Signagi, but also by For Georgia, Netgazeti reported. According to its deputy chair and candidate number 2, Natia Mezvrishvili, the state security service and municipalities are involved with (and for) the Georgian Dream party. She said they “have information that ID cards are taken away from families for the sole purpose of preventing these people from coming to the elections. According to our information, they want to spin a kind of carousel”. She said she got calls about this from all regions.

As for the carousel hypothesis, with a confiscated ID party representatives can go to polling stations manned by participants in the scheme and cast the vote. Essentially a stolen vote that is staged as if it were a legitimate vote and impossible to detect by observers. “These families are scared, they can’t speak, because some are paid money and others are under pressure” – said Natia Mezvrishvili. Another aspect was recording personal (ID) numbers of citizens by GD, for the purpose of bribing and coercion: to pay socially vulnerable for voting “correctly” – and to threaten taking their social benefits away.

This part of the scheme, where the IDs were not taken, but just numbers being recorded, was obviously part of intimidating voters. After the vote has been cast, it will be scanned electronically. Some people may have feared they get monitored by a camera which links them to the ballot being scanned. In fact in the villages this was actively spread: “we can see your vote”. Although that is not true, this is part of the psychological intimidation. Georgian Dream denied the accusations and dismissed all this as disinformation from the opposition.

20 October

The new party “Federalists“, established by former European Georgia leader Giga Bokeria and Tamar Chergoleishvili, held their founding convention. Bokeria was elected as party chairman,¹⁴³ while Chergoleishvili was elected head of the Tbilisi organization. In November 2024 the party claimed the party was not registered by the authorities, while it should have been.¹⁴⁴ As result, the party held a second founding convention on 9 February 2025,¹⁴⁵ which was attended by 325 delegates. Bokeria and Chergoleishvili were confirmed in their positions and a political council of 22 members was formalised. The party submitted their (second) registration on 13 February 2025 and stated that it had taken the Georgian Dream charter as template for the registration, while changing the ideological parts, to make sure selective standards would get exposed if applied by the authorities.¹⁴⁶

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23 October

On 23 October, three polls were released, by consecutively GORBI (for Imedi), Savanta (for Mtavari) and Edison (for Formula TV) – see also the “Polling” section. Similarly to previous polls, they showed a large discrepancy, seemingly related to the background of the ordering organization. According to GORBI, Georgian Dream maintains more than 60% support, while only UNM and Coalition for Change would have a chance to pass the 5% threshold. According to the other two, Georgian Dream would have around 35% support, while four or five opposition parties would pass the threshold.

23 October

In the evening of 23 October, For Georgia candidate and former Georgian Dream MP Levan Gogichaishvili was attacked by a group of 20 men in a metro statin while he was on his way to a TV studio.¹⁴⁷ The attackers were returning from the Georgian Dream campaign event in the centre of Tbilisi, earlier that evening.

Georgian Dream held their final campaign event in Tbilisi, with their aim to surpass the crowd of the pro-European demonstration on Sunday 20 October. In order to achieve that, they bussed in thousands of people from the countryside, with a free day and additional money. Many were reportedly forced and coerced into joining. The event was held at Freedom Square (Tavisupleba) with a few additional screens in Rustaveli Avenue between Tavisupleba and Parliament. The party leaders all held their speeches, touching the same themes as in prior campaign events.

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For the article on the elections itself, see the mainpage.

References and footnotes

1
IPN, “National Movement”: the central office of the party was attacked, 1 June 2024
2
Civil Georgia, Russia’s Deputy FM: West is Trying to Implement Maidan Scenario in Georgia, 5 June 2024
3
Civil Georgia, Parliament Bans Another Critical Journalist from Working in Legislative Building, 5 June 2024
4
Civil Georgia, Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics: Georgian Parliament Misuses Media Conduct Rules, 5 June 2024
5
Civil Georgia, Tina Bokuchava to Replace Levan Khabeishvili as UNM Chair, 8 June 2024
6
Civil Georgia, Amnesty International: Georgian Government Greenlights Violence Against its Critics, 12 June 2024
7
Civil Georgia, EU Urges Georgia to Investigate Acts of Violence against Civil Society, Media, Politicians, 12 June 2024
8
IPN, Iago Khvichiya We cannot afford anyone in this political spectrum and therefore, I think, we will go to the elections separately, 17 June 2024
9
Civil Georgia, Former GD State Minister Alexi Petriashvili Joins Opposition Droa, 17 June 2024
10
Civil Georgia, Six Opposition Parties Sign “Declaration of Unity”, 28 June 2024
11
Civil Georgia, UNM, Strategy Aghmashenebeli Announce Political Platform: ‘Unity – to Save Georgia’, 8 July 2024
12
Civil Georgia, Ahali, Girchi-More Freedom and Droa Unite Ahead of Polls, 9 July 2024
13
Radio Tavisupleba, ნიკა გვარამიამ და ნიკა მელიამ “ახალი” პარტია შექმნეს, 11 March 2024
14
Radio Tavisupleba (RFE/RL), რატომ არ გაერთიანდა „ლელო“ სამ ოპოზიციურ პარტიასთან? – სამადაშვილის პასუხი, 9 July 2024
15
IPN, “European Georgia” starts consultations with opposition parties with the task of creating an electoral democratic center, 17 June 2024
16
Civil Georgia, Russian Intelligence Accuses US of Seeking to Change Government in Georgia Following Elections, 9 July 2024
17
IPN, Gakharia for Georgia: The statement of the Russian intelligence is a direct attempt to interfere in the October elections and help the Dream in rigging the elections, which will definitely have a continuation, 9 July 2024
18
1TV, United Neutral Georgia public movement founded, 10 July 2024
19
IPN, Tina Bokuchava: The victory of the opposition in the October 26 elections is the only chance to save the country – at least 30% of the party electoral lists will be made up of women, 12 July 2024
20
Imedi News, PM downplays opposition’s regroupment ahead of elections, claims ruling party enjoys 60% approval rating, 13 July 2024
21
IPN, Irakli Kobakhidze: The latest ratings are as follows: National Movement – 18%, all other parties below 5% – we are getting the constitutional majority – Gvaramia-Melia-Khazaradze – this is a collective National Movement, and just like their past, their future will also be dark, 5 March 2024
22
Radio Tavisupleba, გვარამიამ და მელიამ პაატა ბურჭულაძის დაფუძნებული პარტია გადაიფორმეს, 16 July 2024
23
IPN, Mamuka Mdinaradze: People’s Power will take part in the parliamentary elections with a common list with us, 16 July 2024
24
IPN, The speech of the Honorary Chairman of “Georgian Dream”, Bidzina Ivanishvili, at the opening of the election campaign of “Georgian Dream” and the new central office, 17 July 2024
25
OC Media, Ivanishvili promises crackdown on opposition after elections, 17 July 2024
26
Civil Georgia, Three More Opposition Groups Join Forces Ahead of Crucial Elections, 17 July 2024
27
Civil Georgia, Civic Activist Launches New Political Movement: ‘Freedom Square’, 1 July 2024
28
Radio Tavisupleba, საპარლამენტო არჩევნებში პარტია “საქართველოსთვის” დამოუკიდებლად მონაწილეობს – გახარია, 19 July 2024
29
IPN, Ana Buchukuri: Reports about the possible unification of Gakharia for Georgia party and Lelo is a lie, 12 July 2024
30
IPN, Ana Buchukuri: Our strategy is that the National Movement and Georgian Dream do not take more than 50% in total in these elections, 18 June 2024
31
OC Media, Aleko Elisashvili’s Citizens Party ‘in negotiations’ with growing Georgian opposition alliance, 24 July 2024
32
IPN, ხათუნა სამნიძე – ჩემთვის საინტერესოა „ახალი“, „გირჩი“ და „დროა“, ამ ალიანსთან კონსულტაციები დაწყებულია – ჯერ კიდევ ფრაგმენტირებულია ოპოზიცია, არიან დამოუკიდებელი დეპუტატები, მათი აქტიურობა უმნიშვნელოვანესია, 25 July 2024
33
IPN, Tina Bokuchava: While Ivanishvili’s party preaches confrontation, we are representatives of opposition parties with the people and discuss how to save democracy and the country’s Euro-Atlantic course, 27 July 2024
34
Business Media Georgia, EECMD-ის და DIPD-ის მხარდაჭერით, საქართველოში დემოკრატიის ფესტივალი, დღეს წალენჯიხიდან დაიწყება, 27 July 2024
35
IPN, Beka Liluashvili: We will run for the elections only with our party identity, but this does not mean that our door is closed – the party has negotiations with former members of Georgian Dream, 28 July 2024
36
Formula TV, როგორია პარტიების რეიტინგი – Edison Research-ის კვლევა, 28 July 2024
37
Formula TV, რომელი პოლიტიკოსი (არ) მოსწონს ხალხს – Edison Research-ის კვლევა, 28 July 2024
38
IPN, Giga Bokeria leaves “European Georgia”, 1 August 2024
39
IPN, გაერთიანებამ “ძლიერი საქართველო” სლოგანით – „რეალური ალტერნატივა“ საარჩევნო კამპანია გახსნა, 1 August 2024
40
IPN, Shalva Papuashvili: There is a suspicion of pre-election campaigning with foreign funding, and we see that radical parties are conducting pre-election campaigns, there are rare facts about this, 3 August 2024
41
IPN, At the session of the Political Council, name of the Akhali party was determined – “Coalition for Change – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa”, 4 August 2024
42
Civil Georgia, Pro-Kremlin Party Urges Georgian, Russian Authorities to “Unite” against West, 5 August 2024
43
IPN, ახალი პოლიტიკური გაერთიანება „სოლიდარობა მშვიდობისთვის“ დაფუძნდა, 18 December 2023
44
Publika, კონსერვატორთა კავშირის დამფუძნებელი – რა ვიცით ოთარ ფარცხალაძის შვილზე, 21 September 2023
45
Imedi, Parliament Speaker claims pre-election process in country taking place on backdrop of violations, foreign interference, 6 August 2024
46
Civil Georgia, EECMD Defends DemFest Amid Georgian Dream’s Smear Campaign, 6 August 2024
47
IPN, გორში, აღმაშენებლის გამზირზე N58-ში “კოალიცია ცვლილებისთვის – გვარამია, მელია, გირჩი, დროას” ოფისი გაიხსნა, 9 August 2024
48
IPN, პოლიტიკური გაერთიანება „კოალიცია ცვლილებისთვის – გვარამია, მელია, „გირჩი“, „დროას’’ კასპის ოფისი გაიხსნა, 9 August 2024
49
IPN, „ილიას გზა“ – კოალიციამ „ძლიერი საქართველო“ საარჩევნო გეგმის პრეზენტაცია გამართა, 9 August 2024
50
Mtavari, ნიკა მელიას სამტრედიაში თავს “ოცნების” ტიტუშკა, საბა ნიკოლაიშვილი დაესხა | “კოალიცია ცვლილებისთვის” ახალი ოფისები იმერეთში, 11 August 2024
51
Mtavari, ცაგერი, ამბროლაური, ონი, ტყიბული | “კოალიცია ცვლილებისთვის – გვარამია, მელია, გირჩი, დროამ” რეგიონებში 4 ახალი ოფისი გახსნა, 11 August 2024
52
Radio Tavisupleba, “ერთმანეთს ვუთხარით, რომ ახლა შერიგების დროა” – ელისაშვილი “ლელოს” გაერთიანებას შეუერთდა, 12 August 2024
53
Ekho Kavkaza, Лидер «Антиоккупационного движения» Давид Кацарава создал новую партию, 12 August 2024
54
Civil Georgia, Anti-Occupation Movement Leader Launches New Party, 13 August 2024
55
IPN, დავით ქაცარავამ მიხეილ რამიშვილთან, აკია ბარბაქაძესა და მსახიობ კახა გოგიძესთან ერთად პოლიტიკური პარტია „ჩვენ“ დააფუძნა, 23 August 2024
56
Blogspot page Chven, ვინ და რატომ ჩვენ?, 14 August 2024
57
Formula TV, ვინ შეუერთდება ახალ პოლიტიკურ პლატფორმას, რომელშიც ენმ და სტრატეგია აღმაშენებელი იქნებიან, 8 July 2024
58
Netgazeti, “ფედერალისტები” – “ევროპული საქართველოდან” გამოყოფილი ჯგუფი ახალ პარტიას ქმნის, 14 August 2024
59
Civil Georgia, Former Leaders of “European Georgia” Launch The Federalists, 16 August 2024
60
Ekho Kavkaza RFE/RL, В грузинскую политику вернулся Давид Гамкрелидзе, 15 August 2024
61
Radio Tavisupleba, “ოცნების” 22 დელეგატი – რა ვიცით მათზე, 21 August 2024
62
Radio Tavisupleba, „ქართულმა ოცნებამ“ თბილისის ოლქებში დელეგატები წარადგინა, 23 August 2024
63
Ekho Kavkaza, «Европейская Грузия» присоединилась к коалиции «Единство – «Нацдвижение», 17 August 2024
64
Ekho Kavkaza RFE/RL, Республиканцы и «Активисты за будущее» присоединились к «Коалиции за перемены», 18 August 2024
65
IPN, ხათუნა სამნიძე – მშვიდობა, კეთილდღეობა, პროგრესი იქნება მაშინ, როდესაც 26 ოქტომბერს ხელისუფლებას შევცვლით და კოალიციურ მმართველობას უზრუნველვყოფთ – დროა, ქვეყანა განვკურნოთ, 18 August 2024
66
Imedi, Ruling Georgian Dream party clarifies why it needs to secure constitutional majority in upcoming parliamentary elections, 20 August 2024
67
JAM News, “Georgia recognizes Abkhazia’s independence, Kremlin will create a confederation and bind both to itself” – Opinion from Abkhazia, 21 August 2024
68
Ekho Kavkaza, Вахтанг Хмаладзе: «Грузинская мечта» мечтает о восстановлении однопартийной системы», 20 August 2024
69
Ekho Kavkaza, «Мечта» не планирует убирать из Конституции статью о евроинтеграции – Кобахидзе, 23 August 2024
70
CESKO, პარტიული სიების წარდგენის წესები არჩევნებში მონაწილე პარტიებისთვის, 21 August 2024
71
Radio Tavisupleba, რა სახელით ნახავთ ოპოზიციურ გაერთიანებებს საარჩევნო ბიულეტენში – დარჩენილი პროცედურები და ვადები, 22 August 2024
72
Civil Georgia, Ivanishvili Hammers Home the Message of Political Revenge, Dangles Hope of Salvation, 21 August 2024
73
Civil Georgia, Opposition Reacts to GD Campaign Messages, 22 August 2024
74
Ekho Kavkaza, Депутатов партии Саакашвили в будущем парламенте могут лишишь мандатов – Кобахидзе, 23 August 2024
75
Netgazeti, კობახიძე აკონკრეტებს, რომელი პარტიების აკრძალვას გეგმავს „ქართული ოცნება“, 23 August 2024
76
JAM News, “Ban on political parties is a democratic process,” – Georgian prime minister, 23 August 2024
77
Formula TV, დავით ქაცარავამ ახალი პოლიტიკური გუნდი – “ჩვენ” წარადგინა, 23 August 2024
78
TASS, President Salome Zurabishvili Sets Parliamentary Election Day for October 26, Speaks About its “Existential” Importance, 26 August 2024
79
EKHO Kavkaza, Нарышкин: РФ хотела бы помешать попыткам цветной революции в Грузии, 27 August 2024
80
Civil Georgia, President Salome Zurabishvili Sets Parliamentary Election Day for October 26, Speaks About its “Existential” Importance, 27 August 2024
81
Radio Tavisupleba, ამ არჩევნებისთვის „ლელომ“ სახელი გადაირქვა, 28 August 2024
82
Radio Tavisupleba, დეპუტატი თეონა აქუბარდია გიორგი გახარიას პარტიას შეუერთდა, 29 August 2024
83
IPN, Irakli Kobakhidze: On October 1, we will present to the public the new election program of “Georgian Dream” – it will be the only program that will be both ambitious and feasible at the same time, 31 August 2024
84
Civil Georgia, Ivanishvili Says the Role of Orthodox Church to Strengthen, 31 August 2024
85
IPN, მამუკა მდინარაძე – მთავარი გამოწვევა ლგბტ პროპაგანდის წინააღმდეგ ბრძოლაა – ის, რაც ვერ მოახერხა ვერცერთმა დამპყრობელმა, რომ ქართველი ერი გადაეშენებინა, შეიძლება სულ რამდენიმე თაობაში მოახერხონ, ამიტომ ამას წინ განსაკუთრებულად უნდა აღვუდგეთ, 31 August 2024
86
IPN, According to the information of “National Movement”, Irakli Edzgveradze and Irakli Nadiradze were arrested, 4 September 2024
87
Civil Georgia, PM Kobakhidze: “Radical Opposition” Leaders at Risk of Attack, 4 September 2024
88
Ekho Kavkaza, В коалиции партии Саакашвили назвали пять предвыборных приоритетов, 4 September 2024
89
ISFED, 2024 წლის საპარლამენტო არჩევნების არაოფიციალური წინასაარჩევნო პერიოდის მონიტორინგის ანგარიში (1 ივნისი – 26 აგვისტო), 4 September 2024
90
Civil Georgia, Watchdog Speaks of “Intense Polarization” ahead of Pre-election Campaign, Other Challenges, 4 September 2024
91
IPN, ანა წითლიძე – ზუგდიდში 560 ადამიანის სია იყო და 560-ვე გავშიფრეთ – ერთიც კი არა, ვინც „ქართული ოცნების“ წევრი არ არის – ეს დანაშაულია, რომლის სათავეშიც საოლქოს თავმჯდომარე, რომელიც დავალებებს უშუალოდ სუს-სგან იღებს, 7 September 2024
92
Netgazeti, “ჩემი ხმა” – 30-მდე ორგანიზაცია საარჩევნო ხმების დასაცავად მოხალისეებს ეძებს, 8 September 2024
93
Radio Tavisupleba, გრიგოლ გეგელიას თქმით, ქარელში თავს დაესხნენ „ძლიერი საქართველოს“ წარმომადგენელს, 8 September 2024
94
Radio Tavisupleba, სტუდენტური მოძრაობა აცხადებს, რომ ანაკლიაში ავტომანქანა დაუზიანეს, 8 September 2024
95
JAM News, “I am ready to run for a second term.” Interview with the president of Georgia for Le Figaro, 10 September 2024
96
Civil Georgia, Georgian Dream Unveils Top 20 MP Candidates for October Vote, 10 September 2024
97
Rdaio Tavisupleba, ოცნების ოცი – რა ვიცით ახალ სახეებზე?, 11 September 2024
98
Imedi, Ruling party official says Bidzina Ivanishvili topping party’s electoral list highlights importance of upcoming elections, 10 September 2024
99
OSCE, ODIHR opens election observation mission in Georgia, 12 September 2024
100
OSCE, Parliamentary Elections, 26 October 2024
101
Civil Georgia, Court Reportedly Authorizes Anti-Corruption Bureau to Access Bank Information of “Vote for Europe” Movement, 13 September 2024
102
Civil Georgia, President Zurabishvili Inaugurates “Vote for Europe” Movement, 11 July 2024
103
Civil Georgia, President Zurabishvili Announces Lelo-led Strong Georgia and Gakharia’s Party to Join Forces for Elections, 16 September 2024
104
Civil Georgia, Lelo-Led Strong Georgia, Gakharia’s For Georgia Fail to Agree on Election Alliance, 19 September 2024
105
IPN, გიორგი გახარია – მე ეს მოლაპარაკებები უფრო ადრე უნდა დამესრულებინა, მაშინვე, როგორც კი ვერ მოხერხდა ნეიტრალურ პლატფორმაზე შეთანხმება, 20 September 2024
106
IPN, გიორგი გახარია მამუკა ხაზარაძესთან მოლაპარაკებების განახლებისთვის სამ პრინციპს ასახელებს, 20 September 2024
107
IPN, მამუკა ხაზარაძე 9-პუნქტიან ჩამონათვალს ასაჯაროებს, რომელზეც, მისი თქმით, თავდაპირველად გიორგი გახარიასთან შეთანხმდა, 20 September 2024
108
Civil Georgia, Gakharia – For Georgia Signs President’s “Georgian Charter”, 23 September 2024
109
OC Media, Transparency International Georgia declared ‘electoral subject’ by authorities, 24 September 2024
110
GYLA, საია და „სამართლიანი არჩევნები“ მიიჩნევენ, რომ ანტიკორუფციული ბიუროს გადაწყვეტილება უკანონოა, 24 September 2024
111
Civil Georgia, Watchdogs, Opposition Say Anti-Corruption Bureau Overstepped its Mandate, 24 September 2024
112
JAM News, “Law used to restrict free speech” – Georgian lawyers and activists accuse authorities, 24 September 2024
113
Civil Georgia, Speaker Papuashvili Complains about Foreigners Propping Opposition Campaign, Wants “Non-Interference”, 24 September 2024
114
Civil Georgia, Gvaramia Not to Run for MP, 25 September 2024
115
Radio Tavisupleba, გიორგი გახარიამ პარტიული სიის შემადგენლობის პრეზენტაცია გამართა, 25 September 2024
116
Radio Tavisupleba, გიგა ბოკერია: ფედერალისტები 2024 წლის არჩევნებში მონაწილეობას არ ვიღებთ, 25 September 2024
117
Radio Tavisupleba, გიორგი მარგველაშვილი პარტია „ძლიერ საქართველოს“ შეუერთდა, 25 September 2024
118
Civil Georgia, GD’s Longest-Serving Minister, Tsulukiani, Resigns, 25 September 2024
119
Radio Tavisupleba, საპარლამენტო არჩევნებისთვის ცესკოში სია 19-მა პარტიამ წარადგინა, 26 September 2024
120
Publika, ცესკოს ცნობით, პარტიული სია 19-მა პოლიტიკურმა გაერთიანებამ წარადგინა, 27 September 2024
121
Green Party via Facebook, “საქართველოს მწვანეთა პარტიის” განცხადება, 24 September 2024
122
CESKO, Election Subjects Which Have Their Party Lists Registered for the October 26, 2024 Parliamentary Elections of Georgia (pdf), 8 October 2024
123
Radio Tavisupleba, “ქართული ოცნების” პარტიული სია გამოქვეყნდა, 26 September 2024
124
Civil Georgia, Coalition for Change Unveils MP Candidate List, Led by Iconic “Woman with the EU Flag”, 26 September 2024
125
Radio Tavisupleba, „ძლიერმა საქართველომ“ პარტიული სიის შემადგენლობა დაასახელა, 26 September 2024
126
Radio Tavisupleba, „ერთიანობა – ნაციონალურმა მოძრაობამ“ პარტიული სიის შემადგენლობა დაასახელა, 26 September 2024
127
Radio Tavisupleba, „პატრიოტთა ალიანსის“ პარტიული სიის ოცეული ცნობილია, 26 September 2024
128
Radio Tavisupleba, „ლეიბორისტებმა“ პარტიული სიის ათეული გამოაქვეყნეს, 26 September 2024
129
CESKO, “60 PECs Will Serve Voters Living Abroad in 42 Foreign Countries, 26 September 2024
130
OC Media, Georgian Dream launches campaign ads using images of war-torn Ukraine, 26 September 2024
131
JAM News, Georgian Dream launches campaign ads using images of war-torn Ukraine, 26 September 2024
132
Civil Georgia, Ukraine Foreign Ministry Slams GD’s “War and Peace” Campaign Banners, 26 September 2024
133
OC Media, Transparency International Georgia ‘no longer able’ to observe October elections, 1 October 2024
134
OC Media, Georgian Dream breaks silence by denying confederation plans with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, 7 October 2024
135
OC Media, Russia offers to help Georgia ‘normalise relations’ with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, 7 October 2024
136
Radio Tavisupleba, დავით ქაცარავამ, აკია ბარბაქაძემ და კახა გოგიძემ პარტია „ჩვენ“ დატოვეს, 7 October 2024
137
CESKO, Candidate list Chven (pdf), 7 October 2024
138
Civil Georgia, OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission Interim Report, 12 October 2024
139
OSCE/ODIHR, Georgia, Parliamentary Elections, 26 October 2024: Interim Report (pdf), 11 October 2024
140
Civil Georgia, President Says She Will Present Technical Government Before Elections, Calls on Signatories to Fully Follow Georgian Charter’s Letter, 12 October 2024
141
Batumelebi, ფარულად მოპოვებული ფაილები „ოცნების“ ოფისიდან, 15 October 2024
142
Netgazeti, ვინ და რატომ ართმევს ამომრჩევლებს პირადობის მოწმობებს, 19 October 2024
143
Publika, პარტია „ფედერალისტების” სადამფუძნებლო ყრილობა გაიმართა, 20 October 2024
144
Tabula, ჩერგოლეიშვილი: დღეს პარტია ფედერალისტები უნდა დარეგისტრირებულიყო – დაგვიხარვეზეს, 23 November 2024
145
Netgazeti, გაიმართა “ფედერალისტების” სადამფუძნებლო ყრილობა, 9 February 2025
146
IPN, “ფედერალისტებმა” პარტიის დაფუძნებაზე განაცხადი მეორედ შეიტანეს, 13 February 2025
147
Formula TV, “ივანიშვილის შპანა იყო, ოცნების დროშები ეჭირათ” – გოგიჩაიშვილი თავდასხმის დეტალებს იხსენებს, 23 October 2024

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Jelger Groeneveld

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