“Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has traded the nation’s and the people’s betrayal for a false sense of peace, has prioritized the security of his own authoritarian regime over the safety of the country’s strategic facilities and the well-being of hundreds of thousands of citizens left without internet for an entire day and now without gas,” stated Teona Akubardia, a member of the Gakharia for Georgia party.

According to her, at this time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs—whose responsibility is to protect strategic facilities—is instead targeting citizens and students, arresting and fining them for protesting in the streets.

“To outline the chronology of events, on January 27, MagtiCom, the largest internet provider in Georgia, explained that more than three million of its subscribers had their internet service disrupted due to network damage in Turkey and Georgia. They also noted that law enforcement agencies were informed about three ‘suspicious damages’ in Georgia; however, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has yet to issue any public statement regarding its investigation into this alleged sabotage. On February 9, the central gas pipeline was reportedly damaged by a ‘third party,’ leaving approximately 150,000 residents of Vake-Saburtalo without gas.

Who is this ‘third party,’ and why was the central gas pipeline so vulnerable? Naturally, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has provided no answers to these critical questions.

If a ‘third party’ can render a significant and strategically vital part of the capital without heating in winter—disrupting the operations of kindergartens, schools, bakeries, and more—it is evident that our country is not faring well, particularly in terms of security. This implies that a mere trio of saboteurs could potentially halt essential services like gas, water, and electricity, which could lead to a national collapse.

This perilous situation arises when Ivanishvili’s regime prioritizes the security of buildings and roads vital to its own interests, designating them as strategic objects while neglecting the actual strategic sites and highways. They have even turned Tbilisi Mall Road into a so-called strategic object, diverting various resources from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for its protection while true strategic locations remain unguarded.

Therefore, I must convey to the Ivanishvili regime that the pursuit of peace should not translate into keeping the country defenceless; rather, it should focus on maximizing the resilience of our nation and its people!” concluded Teona Akubardia.