“We have the freedom to express our will through our protest on Rustaveli Avenue, united, strong, and principled. I am confident that the vast majority of Georgian citizens will make this principled choice and refuse to become participants in Ivanishvili’s Russian ‘special operation’,” declared Tina Bokuchava, Chairwoman of the United National Movement (UNM).

She also pointed out that establishing a mission to monitor the election process within such a short timeframe is impossible.

“Having extensive experience working with OSCE/ODIHR, even before I entered politics, I can confirm that it is simply not feasible to staff a comprehensive mission capable of genuinely observing the election process in such a limited period. This further demonstrates that Ivanishvili’s Russian regime has no real interest in allowing international observers during this ‘special operation’. It’s just another manoeuvre by Ivanishvili to gain legitimacy, which, I assure you, he will not secure either domestically or internationally,” Bokuchava stated.