“Groups of people distinguished by particular aggression are coming deliberately to Georgian Dream’s Tbilisi election headquarters, where work continues round the clock. They are staging organised, carefully calculated provocations,” declared Levan Machavariani, head of mayoral candidate Kakha Kaladze’s election campaign, in response to confrontations that occurred outside the Georgian Dream election headquarters on Melikishvili Avenue.

“This represents extremely crude interference in the electoral process. What is most surprising is why the EU Ambassador and the diplomatic corps are watching silently and making no statements about this. Here is Georgian Dream’s Tbilisi election headquarters, where work continues 24 hours a day and many people gather. Groups distinguished by particular aggression, followers of liberal fascism in Georgia, come deliberately and stage organised, well-calculated provocations outside the headquarters.

Naturally, I call on all our supporters to exercise restraint, because this serves their agenda directly and purposefully. They want to raise the temperature of unrest. We know that the majority of these people are funded precisely by EU money. Moreover, the main core of these aggressive citizens consists of activists from wealthy NGOs and the United National Movement. Why are they not speaking out? Why the silence? Is this not direct interference in the electoral process? Why do they want this polarisation to intensify further? Why are they watching all this quietly, as if nothing is happening?” Machavariani stated.

According to Kaladze’s campaign chief, what occurred was a deliberate provocation.

“They will not stop, because they have received this assignment from outside to artificially inflame the situation in Georgia, given that the opposition is completely marginalised. We see what state they are in. A coalition formed by Gakharia and Khazaradze, who spent years insulting each other, now struggles to field mayoral and majoritarian candidates in half of Georgia. They are so weakened that no one wants to be associated with them.

I call on everyone, first and foremost the diplomatic corps, to comment and condemn this liberal fascism. Once again, I ask everyone for restraint,” Machavariani declared.

A tense confrontation erupted at Kakha Kaladze’s election headquarters on Melikishvili Avenue last night, involving members of the Georgian Dream youth wing and protesters. Both sides exchanged accusations over the attack, which escalated into a physical altercation resulting in injuries.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has announced an investigation into the incident, under the offence of group violence.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched a probe into a clash between citizens on Melikishvili Avenue, pursuant to Part 1 of Article 126 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to violence committed by a group,” the MIA statement read, and confirmed that investigative measures are currently underway.