“Georgian Dream and Bidzina Ivanishvili are taking yet another treacherous step, attempting to strip more than one million Georgian citizens of their right to vote,” said Irakli Kupradze, a member of Lelo – Strong Georgia party.

According to Kupradze, the right to vote is a fundamental democratic right, and the government’s intention to change voting rules for citizens living abroad represents an unprecedented move.

“Ivanishvili is trying to take this away from more than a million citizens, thanks to whom the Georgian economy has been sustained for decades, who support their families and help Georgia. Over the past decade, hundreds of thousands of citizens have left the country, fleeing political persecution, poverty, corruption and injustice.

The question arises, why does Ivanishvili want to change and abolish polling stations abroad and deprive citizens of their right to vote right now, while under the so-called standard legal conditions, the next elections, as a rule, should be in the fall of 2028? This raises doubts that Ivanishvili is preparing for new parliamentary elections.

Given that Ivanishvili has deteriorated the legal environment, he will try to hold new parliamentary elections under conditions of new propaganda, violent actions, and the banning of parties. It is important that we think together and define a common strategy of resistance to Ivanishvili’s violent government,” Kupradze said.

He added that the Georgian people would ultimately prevail.

“It will be impossible to defeat the citizens of Georgia. The repressive conditions that Ivanishvili is creating will not work. No repressive law will help him. We will continue the struggle and resistance against Ivanishvili’s regime together with the Georgian people and, especially, with those in emigration,” he added.