Georgia's possible rapprochement with Russia.

Khinkali vs. Burger: How the US Embassy in Tbilisi Leads the Georgian Opposition, by Evgeniy Shestakov for Rossiyskaia Gazeta. 10.07.2024.

Washington Plans Mass Protests in Georgia to Seize Power.

Georgia has probably never experienced such unprincipled interference in the political process by foreign countries in its recent history. And this is being done by countries that have always spoken of "respect for the will of the people and the law." But when the Constitutional Court of Georgia announced back in 2023 that the country's Basic Law prohibits the head of state from making foreign visits without the government's permission, Europe wiped its feet on this decision. And in September-October, they received Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who had arrived to visit them, at the highest level, knowing full well that she had not received consent to travel to France, Germany and Poland. And the only purpose of her trip to the West was to harm the image of the current government in Georgia.

Moreover, the Georgian of French origin (before 2018, Zurabishvili had French citizenship - RG note ) said exactly what they wanted to hear in Brussels: about the need for moral, and behind closed doors, financial support for the Georgian opposition, Georgia's integration into the European Union, and agreement to implement European narratives for the sake of future membership in the European family. Zurabishvili's interlocutors, including the head of the European Commission, discussed the upcoming vote in Georgia and what should be done to return the Transcaucasian country to the Western system of values.

The European Council announced that it would meet a week before the parliamentary elections in Georgia to discuss the situation in the republic again. In June, the European Council suspended the process of Georgia's accession to the united Europe. In October, it will probably be a question of a larger-scale freeze in relations with Georgia if its population votes for the ruling Georgian Dream and rejects the opposition. The EU Ambassador to Georgia, Pavel Gerchinsky, added his own fly in the ointment to the relations between Brussels and Tbilisi. "We need to hurry so as not to miss the train of the next big enlargement of the European Union, which could happen very quickly," he said. But for this, the residents of Georgia must vote "correctly" on October 26. In the meantime, as Gerchinsky reported with hypocritical disappointment, the European Union has suspended meetings with the Georgian leadership.

"Electing a government is the right of the Georgian people, not foreigners," said Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili in response to such forms of campaign pressure. According to him, during the pre-election period, Georgian media outlets are busy disseminating opinions coming from abroad. And the US Embassy has almost officially become the headquarters of the Georgian opposition. Banners criticizing the Georgian Dream and its founder Bidzina Ivanishvili have appeared on the diplomatic mission's social media pages. At the same time, US media outlets have disseminated information about Washington's plans to impose sanctions against the businessman, who was accused of "developing ties between Georgia and Russia" and "obstructing Tbilisi's course toward joining the European Union and NATO." "I would ask the American ambassador to take a closer look at the activities of her employees who are preparing such cards (with accusations against the ruling party of Georgia and its founder - RG note ). Cards that contain lies," said Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. The response to this appeal was the publication of new embassy "propaganda" on social networks. One read: "Democrats do not ban the opposition." Another - "Isolation of Georgia from the West is contrary to the interests of its people." Not a word about the fact that it is not the Georgian authorities, but the West that is seeking to isolate Georgia. To punish its leadership for refusing to promote the LGBT agenda (an extremist organization banned in Russia), for wanting to defend Christian values, for wanting to bring order to the activities of non-governmental organizations receiving funding from abroad.

The US Embassy in Tbilisi recently warned Americans about "spontaneous" protests during the upcoming parliamentary elections and after their completion. "Clashes and violence between participants, between protesters and the police may occur without warning," the diplomatic mission said in its statement. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service has repeatedly warned about Washington's plans "to give the pro-Western Georgian opposition a pretext to launch mass protests with the aim of seizing power in the country by force." And to use for this purpose the OSCE Bureau's interim report, which points to the allegedly revealed "undemocratic nature" of the upcoming October 26 vote.

It cannot be ruled out that it was within the framework of this plan, which could have been discussed during Zurabishvili's visit to Europe, that the Georgian president announced the start of consultations on Monday with opposition parties on the candidacy of the future prime minister. Opponents of the Georgian Dream intend to announce the composition of their government before the popular vote, during which, according to polls, the opposition will suffer a crushing defeat. Judging by the idea, in the event of a coup d'état organized by the Americans, this supposedly "depoliticised" government will be handed power, and Zurabishvili will legitimise its activities. On Monday, the Georgian Dream announced the re-launch of the impeachment procedure against the Georgian president due to her foreign visits, which violate the Constitution. In the coming days, Georgian deputies will consider amendments that will toughen the punishment for insulting religious buildings and objects. Earlier, the speaker of parliament signed a law banning LGBT propaganda in the country - Zurabishvili refused to sign this document. Who will win on October 26 - national Khinkali or American burger? The election campaign in Georgia has entered the home stretch...

https://rg.ru/2024/10/07/vashington-planiruet-ustroit-massovye-protesty-v-gruzii-dlia-zahvata-vlasti.html

Do the Georgians that want to join the EU not understand all this bullshit sanctions and interference in their elections is just the tip of the iceberg and that if they ever manage to join the EU it will only get worse and they will have even less say in their own country or they will be isolated like a naughty little boy sitting on the naughty step facing the wall.

It is enough to see how Brussels and Washington and Berlin and Paris and London treat countries they pretend are allies to understand these people are evil.

They shouldn't be allowed out on their own let alone to run countries and empires.

Tbilisi Promises to Complain to EU about EU Ambassador to Georgia, by Dmitry Alexandrov from Tbilisi for VZGLYAD. 10.08.2024.

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced his intention to inform EU countries about the interference of the EU Ambassador Pavel Herchinsky in Georgia's internal affairs, which, according to him, is unacceptable, reports a correspondent for the Vzglyad newspaper in Tbilisi.

Kaladze announced plans to send letters to the heads of the foreign ministries of EU member states to inform them of the actions of EU Ambassador Pawel Hercinski. He expressed dissatisfaction with the EU Ambassador's attempts to interfere in Georgia's internal affairs ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

"The EU Ambassador represents all the countries of the association, therefore, we plan to send letters to the heads of the foreign ministries of the member countries of the organization, telling them about his attempts to interfere in the political and electoral processes in Georgia on their behalf," Kaladze said. He also stressed that such actions are unacceptable.

Kaladze categorically rejected accusations that Georgia was curtailing its pro-Western course. He noted that despite criticism from Pavel Herchinsky, Georgia remains committed to Western values.

Opposition TV channel Formula previously reported on statements by Hercinski in which he claimed that "members of the Georgian government are incompatible with EU values" and that "Georgia will not become an EU member under the current ruling party." However, these statements were later removed from the channel's website, and there was no comment from the ambassador on the matter.

As the Vzglyad newspaper wrote, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Pavel Herchinski, was suspected of insulting the country's government when he hinted at the possibility of a complete halt to Western contacts with Georgia in the event of violations in the upcoming parliamentary elections similar to those that occurred in Belarus, and the Georgian opposition admitted to open support from the US and the EU.

https://vz.ru/news/2024/10/8/1291391.html

He noted that despite criticism from Pavel Herchinsky, Georgia remains committed to Western values.

Hahaha... western values... ignore conflicts going on all around the world but the world has to support the west and Kiev in the Ukraine because that is important for the entire world to care about...

Western double standards more like it...

Georgia offended by European Parliament's call to impose direct sanctions against Russia, by Dmitry Alexandrov from Tbilisi for VZGLYAD. 10.09.2024.

Georgia, which has participated in all international sanctions against Russia since the start of the NWO, but has not introduced bilateral ones, was outraged by the European Parliament’s call to introduce direct restrictions against Moscow, reports a Vzglyad correspondent in Tbilisi.

"The EP resolution on Georgia, which will be adopted on October 9, contains a disgusting demand to impose bilateral sanctions against Russia," said the speaker of the parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, at a press conference. "This is the first official public document of the EU that openly demands sanctions from Georgia against Russia, and this is scandalous."

According to him, “the good thing is that it has finally been openly recorded what kind of pressure was exerted on the Georgian authorities on this issue over the past two and a half years behind closed doors.”

"The authors of the resolution understand very well that Georgia's sanctions will not harm Russia," said Shalva Papuashvili. "But for Georgia and its people, this threatens guaranteed economic collapse and a high risk of armed confrontation. Georgia is not protected by the umbrellas of NATO and the European Union."

“All this clearly shows how interested the authors of the resolution really are in the fate of the people of Georgia,” noted the speaker of Georgia’s highest legislative body.

According to him, the resolution is being adopted several days before the Georgian parliamentary elections on October 26 and is an attempt to put pressure on voters.

He also said that members of the EP are calling for the sanctioning of the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, “solely because he makes a huge contribution to maintaining peace in Georgia and preventing the country from becoming a place of geopolitical confrontation.”

The speaker of parliament also called the call by MEPs to release former President Mikheil Saakashvili from prison “shameful”.

https://vz.ru/news/2024/10/9/1291533.html

The Constitutional Court of Georgia did not suspend the law on foreign agents, 10.09.2024.

The President of Georgia, opposition MPs, NGOs and media demanded that the law on foreign agents be suspended pending an investigation. The Constitutional Court rejected the claim, with two judges disagreeing with the decision.

The petition of the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili to suspend the law on foreign agents while the court considers its compliance with legislative norms has been rejected, according to a ruling by the Constitutional Court of the Republic.

In addition to Zurabishvili, 38 opposition deputies, a number of non-governmental organizations and the media acted as plaintiffs. At the same time, according to the ruling, judges Giorgi Kverenchkhiladze and Teimuraz Tugushi disagreed with the decision to reject the petition.

The Georgian parliament adopted the law on foreign agents on May 28, after Zurabishvili vetoed it earlier. According to the initiative, non-profit organizations and media outlets are required to register in the relevant registry if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. Fines are provided for failure to comply with these standards.

This caused mass protests, critics of the bill compared it with the law in force in Russia. The Kremlin ruled out any connection between its adoption in Georgia and Moscow.

The law on foreign agents in Georgia has also become a reason for criticism from the West. For example, the Venice Commission called it anti-democratic due to its possible use against the opposition. Against this background, the US imposed visa restrictions on dozens of Georgian citizens, and the EU suspended the process of accepting the republic and partially froze financial support.

The political council of the ruling Georgian Dream party accused Western countries of limiting sovereignty. Prime Minister of the Republic Irakli Kobakhidze considered the law on foreign agents a step towards integration into the EU and a "soft version" of a similar initiative in the United States.

https://www.rbc.ru/politics/09/10/2024/670654569a794724961e77ef

European Parliament Concerned About ‘Stalin Cult’ in Georgia, by Dmitry Alexandrov from Tbilisi for VZGLYAD. 10.09.2024.

Members of the European Parliament have adopted a harsh resolution criticizing the “anti-democratic” and “anti-Western” processes allegedly taking place in Georgia, while European members of parliament have seen “the growth of the Stalin cult” in the country, a Vzglyad correspondent reports in Tbilisi.

The resolution, which Georgian authorities called “disgusting” and “shameful” overall, including for its calls to impose bilateral sanctions against Russia, expressed “concern about the growth of the cult of Stalin and the associated growth of nostalgia for the USSR.”

It is claimed that this is "backed by the government", which "underlines its close ties with Russia".

Earlier on Wednesday, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili spoke out sharply against the European Parliament resolution.

https://vz.ru/news/2024/10/9/1291601.html

In addition to Zurabishvili, 38 opposition deputies, a number of non-governmental organizations and the media acted as plaintiffs. At the same time, according to the ruling, judges Giorgi Kverenchkhiladze and Teimuraz Tugushi disagreed with the decision to reject the petition.

Well that list of names should be the first names checked against the NGOs that are foreign funded and interfering in Georgian affairs.

Now they are accused of being stalinist... hilarious.... with all these new censorship laws in the UK should Starmer be called Lord Ho Hum... ( a variation of Lord Haw Haw).... Except Haw haw sold the UK out to the Nazis, while the entire century of UK PMs have sold the UK out to the US nazis instead.

Georgia faces its most important elections, by Gleb Prostakov, business analyst, for VZGLYAD. 10.10.2024.

The victory of healthy forces in Georgia is a necessary condition, but not yet sufficient for the formation of a common constructive agenda in relations between Moscow and Tbilisi. But it will be a step in the right direction.

The parliamentary elections in Georgia, which will take place on October 26, are in many ways decisive for the entire Caucasus region. The ruling party "Georgian Dream" intends to use the upcoming elections to strengthen its power, the opposition - if not to win, the chances of which are small, then to stir up public sentiment, and possibly to overthrow the government during mass protests.

Georgian society is split into two camps: pro-Western sympathizers, whose symbol was once, and for many still is, former President Saakashvili, and the conservative majority, not ready to exchange the illusory prospects of European integration for the risk of a final falling out with Russia.

The public split is so obvious that the Georgian Dream did not play with the opposition and undecided electorate, placing a very clear bet on the conservative part of the population. Despite the violent protests of the West and the threat of sanctions, a law on foreign agents and a law banning LGBT propaganda were adopted. And in the election campaign itself, the authorities are actively exploiting the Ukrainian theme, offering society polar alternatives: either war and destruction (as in Ukraine), or prosperity. In this way, the authorities are mobilizing their passive majority electorate in opposition to the smaller, but extremely electrified opposition electorate.

On the very eve of the elections, the Georgian Dream initiated the impeachment procedure of President Salome Zurabishvili. The latter will resign before the new parliament in any case, but the majority of MPs want Zurabishvili to become not the outgoing, but the deposed president. The post of president does not play a big role after the constitutional reform that took place in Georgia. However, the open confrontation between the president, the government and the parliament that is taking place now further destabilizes society, maintaining the threat of a coup.

The current Georgian government is trying to act pragmatically. By declaring its desire to join the EU, it is helping to strengthen the influence of its closest neighbors – Turkey and Russia. Both countries play a key role in foreign trade, investment and tourist flows. In addition, Tbilisi, despite the shouts from Washington, does not oppose the strengthening of China's influence. This spring, China Communication Construction LTD won the tender for the construction of the deep-water port of Ankalia. The port should become a component of a large-scale project to create a North-South transport corridor, which is beneficial to Russia.

And yet, simply changing the focus from the US and EU to Russia, Turkey and China seems too simplistic. The problem is that the majority of Georgians still favor integration into the European Union, and official Tbilisi has not abandoned its European integration aspirations. It is clear, however, that the adopted laws – and especially the law banning LGBT propaganda – make Georgia’s accession to the EU impossible in the foreseeable future. If not accession to the EU, then what alternative geopolitical project can the current government offer Georgians?

Tbilisi's rhetoric and actions suggest that such a project could be the reunification of Georgian territories. In mid-September, the founder of the Georgian Dream, businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili , said that "Georgia will find the strength to apologize to the Ossetians for the military conflict of 2008." This statement can be perceived as a reciprocal step after South Ossetia, after consultations with Moscow, abandoned the idea of ​​holding a referendum on joining Russia. In 2022, Abkhazia announced that it had no plans to join the Russian Federation.

However, the experience of reintegrating the DPR and LPR into Ukraine has shown that everything never goes according to plan. Even with all the desire of Tbilisi to get back the territories it once lost, the problem will run into the desires of the elites and the population of the partially recognized republics themselves. In the case of Abkhazia, unification with Georgia will most likely be resisted by local elites accustomed to their autonomous status. In the case of South Ossetia, the problem is further complicated by the issue of a divided people. Reunification with Georgia will bury the dream of many South Ossetians of reunification with North Ossetia, which is a subject of the Russian Federation.

The lack of a major project explains the fatigue and irritability of Georgian society. The road to the EU is already de facto closed, and there are still insufficient prerequisites for the reunification of all Georgian lands in one form or another. At the same time, Georgia's colossal importance for Russia cannot be denied. Cover for the southern rear in the Caucasus and the Black Sea, a significant transit corridor, not to mention the mutual affection of the Russian and Georgian peoples. In this sense, the victory of healthy forces in Georgia is a necessary condition, but not yet sufficient for the formation of a common creative agenda in relations between Moscow and Tbilisi. But this will be a step in the right direction.

https://vz.ru/opinions/2024/10/10/1291614.html

Thanks kiko the translations!

Putin expands visa-free regime for Georgia, 10.10.2024.

Putin extends visa-free regime to Georgian citizens staying for more than 90 days.

MOSCOW, 10 Oct — RIA Novosti. President Vladimir Putin has extended the visa-free regime to Georgian citizens entering Russia for work or for a period of more than 90 days; the corresponding decree was posted on the portal for the official publication of legal acts.

"To make the following changes to paragraph 1 of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 10, 2023, No. 335, "On the procedure for entry into Russia and exit from Russia of citizens of Georgia " (Collection of Legislation of the Russian Federation, 2023, No. 20, Art. 3529): a) from the first paragraph, exclude the words "from May 15, 2023"; b) from subparagraph "a", exclude the words ", with the exception of citizens entering Russia for the purpose of carrying out labour activities or for a period of more than 90 days for a temporary stay in Russia, including for the purpose of obtaining an education," the document says.

The decree comes into force on the day of its signing - October 10.

In May last year, Putin lifted the visa regime with Georgia and lifted the ban on Russian airlines flying directly to the republic. Then visas were left only for business trips, as well as for a period of more than 90 days, including for education.

Some Georgian politicians criticized this decision; in the country's parliament, direct flights between Moscow and Tbilisi even became an indirect reason for a scuffle.

https://ria.ru/20241010/bezviz-1977396812.html

Ukraine has started to scare Georgians on the streets, by Andrey Rezchikov, Dmitry Alexandrov from Tbilisi for VZGLYAD. 10.10.2024.

Kobakhidze's party showed voters the catastrophic consequences of the Ukrainian choice.

Two weeks before the Georgian parliamentary elections, the Georgian Dream party's campaign billboards have appeared in the country, depicting cities destroyed during the Ukrainian conflict, and, as an alternative, the peaceful beauty of Georgia. Tbilisi says that it is showing a true picture of the catastrophic situation in Ukraine and offering its voters peace. How will ordinary Georgians react to such campaigning and can we talk about a warming of relations between Moscow and Tbilisi?

A new political scandal has erupted between Georgia and Ukraine. The reason was the election campaign of the ruling party "Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia" under the slogan "No to war! No to agents!" The campaign is timed to coincide with the parliamentary elections in Georgia scheduled for October 26.

Campaign banners and billboards appeared on city streets, where war and peace are juxtaposed using archival photographs – images of cities damaged during the conflict are shown side by side with landmarks of peaceful Georgia.

The party also published a video online, in which it compares Ukraine, which chooses war, with Georgia, which chooses peace.

This was met with anger not only by Volodymyr Zelensky's office, but also by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. The department considered the use of such footage in political advertising "shameful", called the Georgian government "the Kremlin's Xerox", and joked about the fact that in Kherson electricity and gas are cut off "much less often" than in Tbilisi.

Official Kyiv also condemned Georgia for refusing to impose full-scale sanctions against Russia, abolish the visa regime, restore air traffic with Russia, establish private Russian schools and intensify bilateral economic relations. All of this is considered "irreparable damage" to relations with Ukraine.

However, Tbilisi has a completely different point of view, including on the situation in Ukraine. As Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze explained on Thursday, the campaign in Georgia is being conducted with the aim of presenting the truth about the catastrophic situation in Ukraine.

"We decided to expose the truth, and that is why those who did not want to present the reality of the situation in Ukraine to Georgian society were concerned," Kobakhidze said on local television. "For two and a half years, specific subjects managed to hide what was happening there from the public."

The Prime Minister added that "today Ukraine is experiencing a complete catastrophe in the economy, in the humanitarian sphere, in the infrastructure, and so on." "We were forced to believe that we should envy the Ukrainian state and the people of this country. Those who do not like the truth are supporters of war in our country, the opening of a second front," Kobakhidze noted.

Earlier, Kobakhidze repeatedly made tough statements regarding internal political processes in Ukraine and repeatedly said that the Euromaidan of 2014 destroyed the country, so the Georgian authorities will do everything to prevent "Ukrainization" in their country. This topic has become especially acute against the backdrop of, as the Vzglyad newspaper wrote, Georgia's need to beat the "Eurocasino" in the elections.

The ruling party calls the upcoming elections a “battle for peace,” accusing the opposition of wanting to open a “second front” against Russia in the country amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. If they win, the authorities promise to ban political forces close to former President Mikheil Saakashvili, the founder of the United National Movement, the largest opposition party.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili did not rule out that following the election results there might be an attempt to organize another color revolution. According to him, if the pro-Western opposition gains "even a drop of power," Tbilisi will immediately begin to form volunteer units to send to Ukraine.

The Georgian expert community noted the effectiveness of the military propaganda of the Georgian Dream. "I have a positive attitude towards these banners, they clearly reflect what is happening in Ukraine and what could have happened to Georgia if it had succumbed to provocative calls to open a "second front" against Russia," said Georgian expert Petre Mamradze.

According to him, "it is quite logical that Ukrainian officials do not like this, but it would be better if they dealt with the interests of their country and defended them." "Such campaigning in Georgia on voters before elections works very effectively. Of course, with the exception of Saakashvili's sectarians," Mamradze said.

"By the way, the strong negative attitude towards these banners from President Salome Zurabishvili, EU Ambassador Pavel Kherchinsky, and the opposition is noteworthy. It means they are touched to the quick," the expert believes. "Georgia supports Ukraine to the maximum extent of its power. But the West and Kyiv are still not satisfied! They wanted us to fight together.

The pressure from the West was very great, but the Georgian government stood firm.”

At the same time, from a political technology point of view, the use of military themes in campaigning is a way to influence voters through fear. “It is clear that the video is all exaggerated, using footage that no longer has any relation to reality, but the Georgian voter is conditionally offered two scenarios,” says political scientist Natalia Eliseeva.

At the same time, the painful reaction of the Ukrainian authorities is caused primarily by the fact that the agitation of the "Georgian Dream" interferes with the fantasy "victory plan" promoted by Zelensky. "I will remind you that when the battles for Mariupol were going on, what they didn't say about Russia in Ukraine. But the fact that Mariupol has now been restored from ruins is being hushed up," the political scientist reasons.

At the same time, the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin to expand the visa-free regime for Georgia will be perceived positively by local residents. As the president's press secretary Dmitry Peskov explained later in a conversation with RIA Novosti , the dialogue should not be interrupted, but interstate relations are one thing, and humanitarian ones are another.

“The majority of Georgians have almost no negativity towards Russia, despite the events of 2008.


Everyone understands that this is the problem of the government that made the decision to attack the barracks with sleeping peacekeepers and to shell a peaceful city. If today there is an opportunity to establish normal relations, why not take advantage of it?" Yeliseyeva asks.

However, it is too early to talk about a warming between Moscow and Tbilisi. "We are watching each other and, as far as possible, making certain gestures," the interlocutor believes. Mamradze also does not see any grounds for a warming of political and diplomatic relations between Moscow and Tbilisi.

"In 2008, we broke off diplomatic relations and are not planning to restore them yet. But trade or humanitarian relations are different. It is in terms of humanitarian, human communication that I am inclined to consider the expansion of visa-free travel conditions for Georgian citizens by the Russian side," the analyst concluded.

https://vz.ru/world/2024/10/10/1291827.html

Georgian Prime Minister Announces Another Attempt to Impeach Zurabishvili, 10.11.2024.

Kobakhidze: impeachment of Georgian President Zurabishvili will be launched at the end of the year.

The question of impeachment of Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili will be raised at the end of the year, said the country's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. His words are quoted by the 1tv channel.

"The institute of the president is an independent constitutional institute, and we always follow the rules. Unfortunately, the forces that we call the party of global war do not follow them," Kobakhidze said. He specified that the representatives of the "party" mean dependence on them by the words "independence," and they have also tried to gain influence in Georgia.

"Due to Salome Zurabishvili's weakness, they managed to do all this very easily. This also has specific material benefits. I do not mean money, but material benefits, which, when the time comes, we can talk about more boldly," the Prime Minister noted.

In this regard, the government will initiate impeachment proceedings and after the ruling Georgian Dream party receives 100 mandates in parliament in late November - early December, voting will be launched, Kobakhidze clarified.

Zurabishvili's term expires in the fall of 2024, and presidential elections will be held on October 26. Zurabishvili said she is ready to run for a second term if the opposition wins the parliamentary elections and nominates her candidacy.

If the impeachment process is successful, the president will leave office just a month earlier. The composition of parliament will be renewed after the elections on October 26, 2024.

Georgian Dream has repeatedly attempted to impeach Zurabishvili. In the fall of 2023, the party launched the procedure , and if the Constitutional Court confirms that the president violated the Basic Law, the issue will be submitted to parliament for consideration. For impeachment, the decision must be supported by at least 100 of the 150 MPs. In 2023, the court ruled that Zurabishvili violated the law , but the impeachment did not take place, as only 86 MPs supported it.

https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/6708cb0f9a7947e4be533366

Georgia's Ruling Party Ridiculed Zurabishvili's Plans to Form Alternative Government, by Dmitry Alexandrov from Tbilisi for VZGLYAD. 10.13.2024.

The Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, called President Salome Zurabishvili's plans to form a "technical government" before the October 26 parliamentary elections "ridiculous," which should receive full power and call an early vote for the country's highest legislative body in a year, a Vzglyad newspaper correspondent reports in Tbilisi.

"We are not interested in these plans. It is simply very funny," said Kakha Kaladze. "Let them meet, shake hands, discuss something, declare themselves winners with their lowest ratings."

For his part, the ruling party's executive, the leader of the parliamentary majority, Mamuka Mdinaradze, called the plans to create a "technical government" "an agent's plot." "Their real plans are to involve Georgia in a war, to destroy our economy," Mdinaradze said. According to him, "Georgian Dream" promises to peacefully and with dignity bring Georgia into the European family."

The ruling party claims that its rating before the elections is close to 60 percent. The opposition says that victory will be on its side and does not intend to admit defeat. Zurabishvili announced that she will create a "headquarters" in the presidential administration and name a candidate for prime minister and members of the government, which she does not have the right to do under the Georgian Constitution.

https://vz.ru/news/2024/10/13/1292232.html

"Two weeks left." A second front is being opened against Russia, 10.13.2024.

Caucasus expert Krylov: "Georgian Dream" may take advantage of the EU authorities' mistake.

MOSCOW, 13 Oct — RIA Novosti, Mikhail Katkov. The Georgian authorities have found themselves under unprecedented pressure from the European Union, which is growing as parliamentary elections approach. Official Tbilisi is threatened with the loss of its visa-free regime and the freezing of financial aid. At the same time, in order to appease the West, the Georgian leadership must collapse its economy by 18%. What is happening in the Transcaucasian republic — in the RIA Novosti material.

Third bell

The European Parliament adopted a resolution entitled "Democratic Rollback and Threats to Political Pluralism in Georgia." 495 deputies voted for it, 73 voted against, and 86 abstained. They demanded sanctions be imposed on representatives of the ruling elite involved in the adoption of "pro-Russian laws" on foreign agents and the ban on propaganda of sexual minorities. The MEPs are especially unhappy with the activities of the founder of the "Georgian Dream" Bidzina Ivanishvili. He is perceived as the architect of the turn from the West to Moscow.

In addition, the EP proposed freezing 121.3 million euros that the EU was going to allocate for the development of the Transcaucasian republic, and revising the visa-free regime.

Georgia is expected not only to repeal the scandalous laws, but also to announce its own anti-Russian sanctions and to stop attempts to violate Western prohibitions.

The Georgian Dream is outraged. According to preliminary estimates, the break in trade with Moscow will cost Tbilisi at least 14 billion lari (more than five billion dollars).

"Such sanctions will only harm the Georgian people," said parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

The EP resolution is clearly pushing Tbilisi towards war.

"Obviously, certain forces have not come to terms with the fact that the second front has not taken place here. For them, this is the last battle for this scenario," Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze emphasized.

Germany attacks

The following day, a similar document was approved by German deputies. According to Mikhail Roth, Chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, the Georgian Dream has become a "Georgian Nightmare" because it makes decisions "incompatible with European values." However, only representatives of the ruling coalition supported it. The Left abstained, while the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance and Alternative for Germany were against.

In addition, the foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle countries (France, Germany, Poland) issued a joint communiqué on October 10, once again condemning the actions of the Georgian Dream. The negative trend "intensified" after the suspension of Georgia's accession process to the EU, and the threat of reprisals arose, it said.

The ministers called on Tbilisi to change course, otherwise "the scale of cooperation with the EU" would be reduced. And they expressed hope for fair elections on October 26.

In fact, it seems that the West has already decided to declare them falsified. That is, there are two weeks left until the next attempt to open a second front against Russia.

Turn to the East

Meanwhile, the Russian president extended the visa-free regime with Georgia to those entering for work for a period of more than 90 days. "Interstate relations are one thing. Humanitarian relations are another, when it comes to the dialogue between the peoples of the two countries. It has not been interrupted. We have a large Georgian diaspora, our tourists go there," explained Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

Experts interviewed by RIA Novosti assess this step positively. But the collective West is trying its best to destabilise the situation. "In fact, the European Union has declared that the elections can be legal and democratic only if the Georgian Dream transfers power to the United National Movement of former President Mikheil Saakashvili. Any other result is considered illegal," says Alexander Krylov, chief researcher of the Caucasus sector at the Center for Post-Soviet Studies at the IMEMO RAS.

On the one hand, the EU is influencing Georgian voters, and on the other, it is preparing the ground for the overthrow of the ruling party, he continues.

However, according to him, the West traditionally underestimates the population of Georgia. "The US and EU authorities imagine themselves to be the pinnacle of world civilization and expect small states to blindly carry out their will. At the same time, they do not take into account the feelings of ordinary people. And we see how attempts to impose European liberal values ​​on the Transcaucasian republic fail one after another. Thanks to such blindness of its opponents, the Georgian Dream may well be re-elected and retain its victory," Krylov believes.

Caucasus expert Artur Atayev believes that the European Union is hoping for a coup d'état in Tbilisi after the elections.

"The West is not going to recognize the victory of the Georgian Dream, and no one is hiding this. There will definitely be protests. The current resolutions are an attempt to mobilize the opposition. They are being told that after October 26 they need to seize power," the expert reasons.

However, he is confident that the ruling party will withstand the pressure. Ultimately, it will not be Ivanishvili and his team who will have to leave, but President Salome Zurabishvili, who has sided with the radical opposition and constantly turns to the West for support.

https://ria.ru/20241013/gruziya-1977626312.html

GarryB wrote:Do the Georgians that want to join the EU not understand all this bullshit sanctions and interference in their elections is just the tip of the iceberg and that if they ever manage to join the EU it will only get worse and they will have even less say in their own country or they will be isolated like a naughty little boy sitting on the naughty step facing the wall.

It is enough to see how Brussels and Washington  and Berlin and Paris and London treat countries they pretend are allies to understand these people are evil.

They shouldn't be allowed out on their own let alone to run countries and empires.

This answers the question. They clearly are in denial and cannot accept such realities. It's the same "welfare bum" disease as in Ukria. People who
expect the good life to be given to them on a platter. I am not smearing welfare recipients since obviously they are not all freeloaders. But the mentality
in the former communist states is something to behold. Communism provided basic needs and so many people took this for granted and instead of respect,
spewed out hostility and resentment. As if they were being denied instead of actually being coddled. All the yammering about human rights and
democracy is such a load of BS. People in the USSR had all the freedom they could ask for to live. Not being able to vote for the parties you want
is irrelevant since here in Kanada and the rest of the precious west, people do not have any real choice anyway and all the parties are a puppet show.
There is no mistake, the root of all issues is economics and desire for the good life. These people in Georgia expect the EU to bring them prosperity and
this good life, it's a religion for them. I suppose they need a few decades of EU soddomy to buy a clue, but even then some of them will still want to
believe.

Georgian Dream talks about Western pressure on country's culture, by Dmitry Alexandrov from Tbilisi for VZGLYAD. 10.14.2024.

One of the leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream, Tea Tsulukiani, who recently resigned from the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture of Georgia in order to participate in the parliamentary elections on October 26, spoke about the pressure of the West on Georgian culture in various areas, reports a correspondent for the Vzglyad newspaper in Tbilisi.

In an interview with Imedi TV, she recalled how “Brussels emissaries put a paper on my desk that stated how Georgia should present itself at foreign cultural festivals.”

“These emissaries were telling me what Georgia is and what Georgian culture is,” she recalled. “I resisted, I started asking them specific questions about why they didn’t want us to present the traditions of Georgian culture the way we see it.”

"They told me that they were not interested in what Georgians thought about their own culture. They were interested in what Europeans would think about our culture. This approach was absolutely unacceptable to me," said Tea Tsulukiani.

“From that moment on, serious problems of a political nature (in terms of the West’s attitude) towards our culture began,” she noted.

"They told us that they did not want to see Georgian men in chokhas on European stages. For me, it was simply scandalous. After many conflicts, we finally got our way. And at our concerts in Europe, the halls were full, literally bursting," Tea Tsulukiani recalled.

According to her, immediately after her appointment as Minister of Culture in 2021, she met with “the ambassador of one of the large countries of the European Union,” during which he “pulled out a small piece of paper from his inside pocket listing the people I was supposed to finance.”

"It was a small list, today all these people openly oppose the Georgian Dream. I told the ambassador then that Georgian culture does not consist of these five or six people," Tea Tsulukiani said.

"All of this is interference in Georgia's internal affairs. If a Georgian ambassador were to do this in any country, he would be immediately expelled under the Vienna Convention," the former deputy prime minister of Georgia said.

https://vz.ru/news/2024/10/14/1292360.html

Russia, unlike West, does not interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs — Kremlin, 10.15.2024.

"We see indiscriminate attempts by Western countries to put pressure on the current Georgian authorities and to directly influence the course of the election campaign," Dmitry Peskov stressed.

MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. The West is trying to sway the election campaign in Georgia, while Russia does not interfere and will not interfere in the internal affairs of this country, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reports.

"As for the elections, this is none of our business. We see indiscriminate attempts by Western countries to put pressure on the current Georgian authorities and to directly influence the course of the election campaign," the spokesman said. "We do not interfere in the internal affairs of Georgia in any way, and we have no plans to do so," he pointed out.

"Georgia is our neighbor. You know all our complications in bilateral relations, which at the same time do not hinder the development of humanitarian ties through the line of societies, peoples of two countries," Peskov emphasized, adding that Georgians continue to travel to Russia and vice versa.

US and EU relations with Georgia deteriorated significantly after the country’s parliament adopted the foreign agents law in May.

https://tass.com/politics/1856375

Georgian Prime Minister Promises to Dismiss President Zurabishvili, by Dmitry Alexandrov from Tbilisi for VZGLYAD. 10.16.2024.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has announced the impending resignation by impeachment of President Salome Zurabishvili, who, in violation of the constitution, is actively negotiating with the opposition on the creation of a “technical government” after the parliamentary elections on October 26, a Vzglyad correspondent reports in Tbilisi.

"In a month, we will technically remove the president by impeachment. Everything else is irrelevant," he said.

The ruling Georgian Dream will file a lawsuit against the president in the Constitutional Court before the elections for her visits abroad that were not coordinated with the government, which is a violation of the Basic Law. Last year, an attempt to send Salome Zurabishvili failed - this requires 100 out of 150 mandates, while Georgian Dream gained 84.

The ruling party believes that it will receive at least 60% of the votes on October 26 – that is approximately 106 mandates. And in late November – early December it will be able to impeach Zurabishvili.

Zurabishvili was elected directly with the support of the Georgian Dream in 2018, and her term ends in December. Impeachment, if passed, would be symbolic, as a deterrent to constitutional violations.

Now the president of Georgia will be elected by the Electoral College - 150 deputies and 150 representatives of local authorities who received mandates in the municipal elections in 2021 with an overwhelming advantage of the Georgian Dream. Thus, the return of Zurabishvili to the presidency is practically excluded.

https://vz.ru/news/2024/10/16/1292669.html

http://www.idcommunism.com/2024/10/stalin-is-their-nightmare-european-parliament-regrets-growing-cult-of-stalin-and-related-increase-in-soviet-nostalgia-in-georgia.html

In a recently revised version of a draft resolution on Georgia, the European Parliament added a passage speaking about the "growing cult of Stalin and related increase in Soviet nostalgia in Georgia".

More specifically, the revised text reads: “The Georgian Government has further worsened access to public information, including Soviet-era archives, using the EU General Data Protection Regulation to falsely justify draconian restrictions to archive access and that some of Georgia’s most important Soviet-era archives (including the archives of the former KGB and the former Central Committee of the Communist Party) have been completely closed since October 2023 without any explanation; highlights Russia’s manipulation and falsification of history, including Soviet history, as part of its war of aggression against Ukraine and its military threats against other countries; regrets the growing cult of Stalin and the related increase in Soviet nostalgia in Georgia, supported by the ruling government, which underscores its closer alignment with Russia,” reads the revised text.

No European country would ever hide or even destroy evidence of deeds and misdeeds....

West wanted Georgia to begin 3-4 day war on Russia — ruling party founder, 10.21.2024.

Georgia’s authorities have repeatedly said that certain forces are seeking to drag the country into an armed confrontation with Russia, especially immediately after the beginning of the armed conflict in Ukraine.

TBILISI, October 21. /TASS/. A high-ranking Western official approached Georgia’s former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili with an idea of unleashing a war on Russia that would last three or four days and then begin guerilla fighting, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honored leader of the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party, said.

"I can recall what former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili once told me. A high-ranking official from a [Western] country spoke with him. Irakli asked, 'Well, for how long do you think we can be at war [with Russia]? How long will we be able to hold out?' The answer was three or four days. He said, 'And are you going to kill us for the sake of these three to four days?' And the official told him, 'There are three-four million of you. They won’t be able to kill all of you in three-four days. Later om, you can initiate guerilla movement in forests. We will help you and you will be fighting from there,'" Ivanishvili said in an interview with the Imedi television channel.

According to Ivanishvili, this episode consolidated the ruling team against such call.

Georgia’s authorities have repeatedly said that certain forces are seeking to drag the country into an armed confrontation with Russia, especially immediately after the beginning of the armed conflict in Ukraine. But the ruling party leaders insist that involvement into a conflict will have catastrophic consequences for Georgia and the government must spare no effort to preserve peace in the country.

https://tass.com/world/1859309

Georgia should have called their bluff... when western countries made suggestions like... have a war with Russia... there is no way they can kill you all... Georgian officials should have set their military the task of working out how long they could fight a conventional war and how long a guerilla war would last and their expected losses and once they have those numbers... say 10,000 in four days of fighting and then 200 per day in the guerilla conflict.... and lets make it a 3 year conflict... 365 x 200, plus 10,000 equals about 80 thousand dead... give or take a few thousand.

So then Georgia can say... instead of us sacrificing our people, why don't the US and EU send 100K people to come and live here in Georgia... we will give them citizenship so they are Georgians, and they can fight the Russians for you. Fighting Russians is your thing... not ours.

When we run out of people you can send more.

Elections in Georgia will determine the limits of European expansion, by Evgeniy Pozdnyakov, Dmitry Alexandrov from Tbilisi, for VZGLYAD, 10.22.2024.

The Georgian authorities have once again initiated the resignation of President Salome Zurabishvili. The news about this appeared less than a week before the parliamentary elections. What is their peculiarity, in what condition are the key parties approaching them and why will Western countries pay maximum attention to these elections?

The Georgian Parliament  has initiated  the impeachment procedure against the country's President Salome Zurabishvili. 81 deputies voted for this decision, and their signatures were ratified by the Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules. The people's representatives accuse the head of state of violating Article 52 of the Constitution (uncoordinated visits abroad).

According to the document, the president has the right to exercise representative powers abroad only with the permission of the government. The impeachment petition will soon be sent to the Constitutional Court, where the deputies' claim will be considered from a legal point of view.

"The current president must resign," said Prime Minister of the Republic Irakli Kobakhidze. According to him, the procedure will be symbolic, since Zurabishvili's powers expire in December. At the moment, the ruling party "Georgian Dream" is already working on the issue of finding a new candidate for the post of head of state.

All this is happening against the backdrop of preparations for the elections scheduled for October 26. Thus, on Sunday, an opposition rally was held in Tbilisi, where Zurabishvili also spoke. There, she  declared  support for the opposition from EU Ambassador Pawel Hercinski and provoked another scandal within the country.

She also spoke about her sympathies for Moldovan President Maia Sandu. She added that Chisinau, Tbilisi and Kiev would join the European Union together. Her words came on the eve of the referendum on European integration in Moldova, in which supporters of the country's Western course won by a small margin. The Vzglyad newspaper  analyzed  the past election campaign in detail.

Thus, the ruling party is opposed by four large opposition coalitions: Unity of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, Strong Georgia of banker Mamuka Khazaradze, Coalition for Change of media manager Nika Gvarami, and For Georgia of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.

The opponents of the Dream have already agreed to form a "technical government" that should ensure the start of negotiations on EU membership. If they win, new parliamentary elections are planned in the country in 2025,  Kommersant writes . At the same time, the ruling party reports that the opposition is preparing bribes to manipulate or even disrupt the elections.

Experts also admit that Georgia may continue the Eurosceptic trend, which is moving from Western Europe to Eastern Europe and was supported by Moldova the day before. Thus, the vote in Georgia acquires a serious geopolitical context, since Western countries de facto and de jure demand that Tbilisi open a "second front" against Russia and intend to continue expansion to the East, while the "Dream"  is scaring voters with the example of Ukraine and trying to electorally outplay  the "Eurocasino" .

"Nevertheless, the topic of Zurabishvili's impeachment in itself will not have a serious impact on the election results. Part of the population considers her a desperate fighter for Tbilisi's European path, on which she is almost sacrificing herself. They see how warmly EU politicians treat her, and this is a decisive argument for them," says Georgian expert Petre Mamradze.

"As for the supporters of the ruling party, they have long hoped to hold the president legally accountable for numerous violations of the country's constitution. In general, five days before the elections, a clear picture of the leadership of the Georgian Dream is emerging. However, the opposition is also preparing for the upcoming vote," the source says.

"For example, on Sunday in Tbilisi there was a march called "Georgia Chooses the European Union". Everything was according to Saakashvili's precepts - they worked for the television picture. They tried to show the EU that there are still a large number of opponents of the "Dream" in the country. In the future, they will most likely appeal to this event, saying that since so many people took to the streets, it means that the victory of the ruling party was falsified."

“It is important what verdict the OSCE observers will deliver after the vote.

“I hope they will focus on the facts, not on ‘pictures’ or on the opposition’s unsubstantiated talk about Georgian Dream’s alleged use of administrative resources,” Mamradze says.

The topic of Zurabishvili's resignation is not new for Tbilisi, notes political scientist Igor Gvritishvili. "They tried to impeach her before. However, the ruling party simply did not have enough votes to implement this initiative. In the run-up to the elections, actualizing the problem may help the party attract new supporters," he reasons.

"The president's popularity is rapidly falling. Therefore, people can support a party that openly fights against her. There is also a practical need. Zurabishvili will most likely try to raise a wave of discontent in the event of a victory of the Georgian Dream," the source believes.

“In this regard, Dream tried to strike ahead.

In reality, there is no great need for her resignation. The powers of the head of state end in December, and the next elections for this position will be held in an updated mode: the candidate will be appointed by members of parliament," the expert says.

"Zurabishvili is also trying to galvanize supporters of the pro-European course ahead of election day. Her address to Maia Sandu, in which she says that Georgia and Moldova should go together on the path to EU integration, is aimed primarily at a domestic audience," he adds.

"They are once again trying to hint to citizens that it is Zurabishvili who is a supporter of increasing interaction with the West. To what extent this method will work is another question. Nevertheless, at the moment there is a lull in the campaigning on both sides. No one is taking active steps," the interlocutor reasons.

“At the moment, the outcome of the election campaign remains unclear.

No one is arguing with the victory of the Georgian Dream, but everything depends on the final support figures. Pro-government media predict a victory with a result of about 60%. Opposition media are signaling 30%, which will require coalition agreements. In addition, the opposition is already preparing protest actions," he says.

"It will not be possible to avoid street unrest. Another thing is that the government has already declared its intention to treat them as loyally as possible. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the state's security agencies will try to prevent mass clashes and bloodshed. However, public tension is felt in the country," Gvritishvili concluded.

https://vz.ru/world/2024/10/22/1293582.html

History is trying to repeat... the pro EU and pro west Yanukovych still picked the Russian and Chinese deals on investment in Ukraine because they were better for the Ukraine, while the western deal was pathetic and exclusive, and for that crime he was overthrown in a coup which brought Poroshenko... the lolly king, into power.

Being pro west and pro EU wasn't good enough for the west so they used their money and soft power and they do what they always do... destroy the fundamentals of democracy and impose a government they created and controlled, and then systematically destroyed the country by building it up militarily and culturally to fight Russia and Russians and then let Russia shred them to pieces.

The west wants more cannon fodder and is happy to use any Ex Soviet State to provide the bodies. Democracy, freedom of speech, civil rights can all go **** themselves because this is what the US wants and those words are meaningless to the US and the west.

Rubber stamp tools to justify any behaviour they think will get the job done this time around.

Congratulations Georgia... all your political parties want to join this dysfunction group of molesterers and thieves.... your future is assured... does it really even matter who wins?

How long before Finland starts to feel the pressure to open a third front?

You can bet the US will never send troops to an actual front line... if they can help it.