Shalva Papuashvili: Turnout at UNM rally shows even the 5% awarded by IRI is overstated

“The turnout at yesterday’s rally organised by the opposition United National Movement (UNM) demonstrates that even the 5% support attributed to them in recent IRI polling is inflated,” Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili stated on Friday.

According to Papuashvili, the public has once again witnessed the stark disparity between genuine popular support and the polling figures published by the International Republican Institute (IRI).

“The Georgian people have shown once again where they stand. The public stands with Georgia, its national interests, and its government—not with an imprisoned foreign citizen who sought to orchestrate unrest, bloodshed, and a violent overthrow of the state. We know for a fact that Mikheil Saakashvili was smuggled into Georgia by foreign intelligence services precisely for this purpose,” Papuashvili declared.

“To dedicate a demonstration to a man smuggled into the country by foreign spies is bad enough in itself. But the fact that only a few dozen people turned up proves that the Georgian public views the situation with absolute clarity,” the Speaker continued.

On 1 October, the United National Movement held a rally in Rike Park demanding the release of former president Mikheil Saakashvili.

The Speaker’s remarks follow leaked slides circulating on social media purporting to show recent IRI poll results. According to the circulated graphics, the ruling Georgian Dream party leads with 36% support, followed by UNM at 5%. Iago Khvichia’s Free People Party (formerly Girchi), the Labour Party, Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia, and the Ahali party stand at 2% each. Ana Dolidze’s For the People, Zurab Japaridze’s Girchi – More Freedom, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, and People’s Power each hold 1%, while Lelo and the Federalists failed to feature in the rankings.