“The government is not interested in immigrants and their viewpoints,” said Giga Parulava, a member of the Gakharia for Georgia party’s Political Council.

According to Parulava, the recently proposed amendment to the Election Code deprives immigrants of their right to participate in elections.

“They cannot provide decent social and economic conditions to these people, and they leave for abroad to survive. These amendments deprive immigrants of the Constitutional right to participate in elections. Therefore, when you call on your fellow citizens to return to Georgia and cast a ballot here, trust me, these people did not flee from a good life; they left for abroad to save their families and their future,” he said.

On November 17, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili announced an upcoming change to the voting process for non-resident citizens. The new rule will require voters to return to Georgia every four years to cast their ballot. An amendment to Georgia’s Election Code reflecting this change has already been introduced to Parliament.