“Creating artificial barriers to the constitutional principle of universal suffrage for our emigrants is yet another absurd, unconstitutional and anti-state initiative by Georgian Dream,” stated MP Giorgi Sharashidze, member of the Gakharia for Georgia party.

According to Sharashidze, instead of the state providing greater guarantees for immigrants to participate in elections to ensure electoral fairness and legitimacy under conditions of growing emigration, GD is doing the complete opposite, imposing artificial barriers on tens of thousands of Georgian citizens and effectively obstructing their opportunity to participate freely in elections, which truly contradicts the principle of universal suffrage.

“Most importantly, through this, Georgian Dream admits that it fears elections and that its 60% support is merely a lie and a myth. With this initiative, GD is attempting to isolate Georgia not only from the international community but also from its own citizens. Georgian Dream admits that it wishes to restrict voting rights for everyone who is not under its propaganda, and has exposed this unashamedly. GD is attempting to legalise the mass restriction of the ability to exercise their vote for a large portion of opposition voters, emigrants.

Today, the reality of the Georgian Dream is an attempt to escape from its own citizens, the country’s isolation from its people, and a fear of the people’s will. It is stripping the right to participate in the country’s political life from that segment of citizens who create the most significant share of the country’s economy. The volume of remittances from emigrants in 2024 was nearly 10 billion lari. This sum is equivalent in volume to 40% of the state budget and almost 30% of the country’s total consolidated budget.

Today, Georgian Dream has acknowledged that emigrants pose a problem for them, as their propaganda does not reach these individuals, and there is no means of influence, neither through intimidation, bribery, nor propaganda. As a result, their only remaining strategy is to erect barriers preventing these people from participating in elections.

The Gakharia for Georgia party will mount fierce opposition to Georgian Dream’s unconstitutional initiative. We shall employ every political lever and instrument to ensure that this malicious measure is not enacted into law and that our emigrants are not restricted in their right to participate in elections,” declared Giorgi Sharashidze.

The voting procedure for non-resident citizens in elections is being changed. According to the Speaker of Georgia’s Parliament, the sole condition will be casting one’s vote in the homeland once every four years.