Day: March 18, 2024

On March 18, the political movement People’s Power, a spin-off of Georgian Dream, officially registered as a political party. During a founding congress, the party adopted its charter and structure, and unanimously elected former GD Member of Parliament Sozar Subari as the party’s leader.

The party’s main committee consists of eight members and includes Dimitri Khundadze, Mikheil Kavelashvili, Guram Macharashvili, Eka Sepashvili, Davit Katcharava, Viktor Japaridze, Zaal Mikeladze and Irakli (Dachi) Beraia.

Before the congress began, Viktor Japaridze spoke to journalists about the party’s plans. He said: “Unlike those parties that say “we will come to power”, we are not talking about that, we are talking about actually overcoming the 5% threshold… [Journalist: Are you ready to create a coalition with Georgian Dream?] Of course, who then? Should we form a coalition with the UNM? God forbid”.

“Our main task is to put the regime that has been in power for 9 years on trial, to finally prosecute the National Movement party and to shed light on everything, including the war and other processes…” – said another party member Irakli (Dachi) Beraia, adding that he expects the party to receive a significant number of votes. “We aren’t the party created to just pass the 5% threshold now, are we?”

The anti-Western People’s Power movement was created in 2022 by GD MPs who left the party, declaring that the GD had fallen into the EU candidacy “mousetrap” and pushed the narrative that the EU wouldn’t give Georgia the candidacy if it didn’t open a “second front” to fight Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. In the last two years, People’s Power has openly criticized the West in its many lengthy letters and pushed to restrict the rights of foreign-funded civil society organizations by initiating the infamous “Foreign Agents” bill, which was dropped in March 2023 after massive protests.

Also Read:

• 24/01/2023 – People Power Says USAID-backed Rule of Law Project “Attack on Sovereignty”
• 04/10/2022 – “Georgian Dream” Loses Parliamentary Majority

Georgia and several other countries including Latvia, Austria, the United States, Sweden, Romania, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, the European Union, Estonia, Norway have condemned the illegal holding of the Russian presidential “elections” in the occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia.

The Georgian MFA condemned holding of the Russian elections in the occupied territories, saying “this act represents a step against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia by the Russian Federation, which grossly violates the fundamental principles and norms of international law, and completely disregards the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.”

The Georgian MFA calls on the international community “to give a due assessment and reaction to yet another illegal action of the Russian Federation directed towards infringement of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“The EU considers the Russian presidential election polling stations opened in occupied breakaway regions of Abkhazia & South Ossetia without consent of the Georgian Government illegal. The EU remains fully committed to Georgia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” the EU Delegation in Georgia tweeted on March 18.

On March 14, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia said it would not recognize “the illegal holding of the Russian presidential “election” and their results in Moldova’s region of Transnistria and Georgia’s regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.”

Latvia reiterated its position on March 17 as well, condemning “in the strongest possible terms the illegal “election” and its results in the temporarily occupied and annexed territories of Ukraine and in the regions of Georgia.”

On March 15, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria tweeted that “we firmly condemn sham elections in the occupied regions Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol as well as in Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These „elections” are illegal, their results lack any legitimacy!”

“We condemn Russia’s presidential polling stations in the Russia-occupied Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and in the Moldovan territory of Transnistria. The Kremlin again tramples on these nations’ sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Jim O’Brien, the United States Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs tweeted on March 16.

“Sweden strongly condemns the illegal “elections” in areas of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia as well as the organization of polling stations in regions of Moldova and Georgia without the consent of authorities. Russia yet again acts in blatant violation of international law,” the Sweden‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted on March 16.

The Foreign Ministry of Romania also “strongly” condemned “the opening of voting stations for Russian elections in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova, and in Georgia s regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, without the consent of authorities of Moldova and Georgia respectively.” “These are illegal and violate international law,” said the Romanian Foreign Ministry.

The Foreign Ministry of Lithuania quoted Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on March 16 according to whom “Russia organizes sham “elections” in occupied territories of Ukraine, also in Georgian regions of Tskhinvali and Abkhazia, Moldova‘s region of Transnistria, against the will of Georgian Moldovan governments. Another assault on the sovereignty of its neighbors and the UN Charter.”

Peter Fischer, Ambassador of Germany to Georgia retweeted on March 17 the statement by the German Foreign Office which said that ” the “election“ in the occupied territories of Ukraine are null and void and another breach of international law.” “Same goes for Abkhazia and South Ossetia as well as Transnistria. No to the violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Ambassador wrote.

“Poland strongly condemns the organization of voting in Transnistria, Tskhinvali/South Ossetia, and Abkhazia without the consent of the authorities of the Republic of Moldova and Georgia respectively. In these cases, too, the ‘elections’ were conducted illegally and in violation of all standards of international law and democracy,” the Embassy of Poland in Tbilisi wrote on Facebook on March 18.

“Estonia strongly condemns the holding of Putin’s so-called “elections” in the Russian-occupied Georgian territories of Abkhazia, Tskhinvali and Moldova’s region of Transnistria. Yet another assault on the sovereignty of its neighbors and international law,” the Foreign Ministry of Estonia tweeted.

“Estonia condemns Russia’s sham elections on Georgia’s territory. It is not in compliance with the commitments taken by RU under the 6-point-plan of 12 August 2008,” Estonian Ambassador to Georgia and Armenia Riina Kaljurand added.

“Russia’s polling stations in the occupied regions of Georgia are in violation of international law. Norway fully supports – and Russia must respect – Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Bergljot Hovland, the Ambassador of Norway to Georgia and Armenia tweeted on March 18.

The article may be updated to reflect the statements of other countries…