President Salome Zurabishvili held a press conference for Georgian and international journalists, answering questions about the Georgian Charter, the post-election period, the electoral environment, her plans, relations with the USA and the EU, and other issues. The president expressed confidence that pro-European forces would win the elections and refused to consider even theoretical scenarios in which the elections would be followed by violence. She also said, half-smiling, that if GD wins, she will probably be impeached and imprisoned.
The government issued a decree classifying the Central Election Commission (CEC) building as a facility of strategic or special importance. Under the Criminal Code, the seizure or blockage of such a facility is punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment, and if committed by a group, by two to five years’ imprisonment. The move comes three days before elections that many fear could be followed by public tensions and possible protests.
The Investigation Service of the Finance Ministry said that it had conducted searches in three alleged so-called call centers. The statement follows reports of several searches conducted by the Ministry’s Investigation Service. Those searched include American think-tank Atlantic Council employees Eto Buziashvili and Sopo Gelava, an American business process outsourcing company Concentrix, citizen Valeri Tkeshelashvili, and stand-up comedian Onise Tskhadadze.
While the opposition, media, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the President believe that these searches are related to the anti-Russian and opposition stance of those under investigation, describing them as Soviet-style methods, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze urges patience for the investigation’s results.
Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reiterated U.S. concerns about Georgia’s election process. “We’ve made our concerns very clear about the trajectory of democratic institutions and the electoral process in Georgia, and we remain very concerned about it. Ultimately, the future of Georgia should be decided by the Georgian people in a free and fair process,” Sullivan said.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze publicly thanked U.S.-sanctioned Interior Ministry officials for their service to Georgia. “I would like to thank the Special Task Department for its service to the country. Special thanks, of course, go to the leadership – Zviad Kharazishvili and Mileri Lagazauri… The protection of our state interests depends to a great extent on them,” PM Kobakhidze told journalists.
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has released information about the messages contained in his video address to the participants of the Third Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean International Platform. According to him he spoke about the importance of finding a solution and wished the Ukrainians a “just peace.”