For Georgia’s MP Parulava: No survey conducted today can reflect objective reality when people are arrested merely for standing on pavements

“Under current national conditions, no public opinion survey can accurately capture true public sentiment,” Giga Parulava, an MP for the Gakharia For Georgia party, has declared.

Parulava added that any poll commissioned to serve party interests is inherently incapable of reflecting reality.

“I have no idea who conducted these surveys. We had no information yesterday, we have none today, and frankly, we have no interest in them. What must be emphasised is that given the prevailing climate across the country, no polling can capture actual public mood. At a time when citizens are being detained simply for standing on pavements, these surveys cannot reflect reality. Consequently, we could not care less who commissioned them. Any survey conducted under today’s conditions cannot mirror objective reality.

If we look back at the last election results, pollsters gave us 1 per cent, yet we secured 8 per cent at the ballot box. Any survey conducted today fails the test of objective reality because citizens are being arrested on pavements merely for exercising their freedom of expression. How could any specific survey—especially one conducted as a party order—possibly reflect objective reality?” Parulava stated.

Parulava’s comments follow the circulation of slides on social media purportedly depicting results from a recent IRI survey. According to the leaked slides, Georgian Dream leads party ratings with 36 per cent, followed by the United National Movement (UNM) on 5 per cent.

Iago Khvichia’s Girchi, the Labour Party, Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia, and the Ahali party each poll at 2 per cent. Ana Dolidze’s For the People, Zurab Japaridze’s Girchi – More Freedom, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, and People’s Power stand at 1 per cent. Neither Lelo nor the Federalists featured in the published breakdown.