Each voter must fully comprehend their responsibility, but punishing voters is unthinkable for us, stated Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. As the head of government noted, if the votes of those who supported the United National Movement, Lelo, Gakharia, or other opposition parties had prevailed in 2020 or 2021, Georgia would be in an even worse situation than Ukraine today.

“To distinguish between responsibility and punishment, punishing voters is inconceivable for us, but each voter must share responsibility and be accountable for their choice. Imagine if the votes of those who supported the United National Movement, Lelo, Gakharia, or other opposition parties had won in 2020 or 2021. In that case, Georgia would be in an even more dire situation than Ukraine today. Therefore, each voter must fully realize their responsibility. However, regarding voter punishment, this is not an issue we can consider,” Kobakhidze explained.

“We must ensure the prosecution of political parties that pose a decisive obstacle to the final establishment of a democratic system, and this is the collective United National Movement. We’re talking about several parties; it’s necessary to prosecute the relevant parties, not their voters. Generally, Bolshevism creates Bolsheviks, fascism creates fascists, and any misguided movement produces its followers. Consequently, we must fight not the voters but the source of this crime. The main sources of the crime are the relevant political forces and politicians who are, in reality, spies acting on external orders,” he continued.