Prepared by Messenger Staff
Gakharia Accuses Georgian Dream of Seeking to Create 'Convenient Opposition'
Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the opposition party For Georgia, has accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of seeking to eliminate genuine political competition and establish a "convenient opposition" of its own choosing.
In a social media post, Gakharia said the government's stated intention to ban opposition parties was aimed at clearing the political field and replicating a model used in Russia, where multiple opposition parties formally participate in elections but, he argued, meaningful political competition is absent.
"This scenario is identical to Moscow's playbook, where numerous 'opposition' parties appear on the ballot, but elections are nothing more than an illusion and self-deception," Gakharia wrote.
He also pointed to the emergence of new political parties in Georgia, suggesting that their founders may either be unaware of the role they are playing or knowingly cooperating with what he described as a pro-Russian regime.
"These individuals either fail to realize they are simply playing their scripted role, or they are knowingly entering into a deal with the pro-Russian regime," he stated.
Kobakhidze Dismisses Question of Possible Presidential Pardon for Garibashvili
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has dismissed speculation that Mikheil Kavelashvili could pardon former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, saying there was no basis for the question.
"I don't know what others are thinking. I haven't developed the gift of telepathy yet," Kobakhidze told journalists when asked whether the president was considering pardoning Garibashvili.
Asked what he would recommend to Kavelashvili if the matter were to arise, Kobakhidze said he would not intervene.
"I will not intervene in this matter in any way. But let me reiterate: there is absolutely no basis for this question, and you should not ask questions that have no basis," he said.
