“Electoral democracy has been abolished in Georgia, and while the number of political prisoners continues to rise, it is inappropriate to discuss engaging in or preparing for any electoral process,” Irakli Pavlenishvili, a member of the United National Movement party, asserted.

According to Pavlenishvili, when electoral processes dissolve within a country, it indicates a grave misjudgment of the prevailing political situation and an abuse of the system.

“I have not heard Gigi Ugulava’s interview, but perhaps they were referencing a shift in the positions of international partners concerning local self-government elections or the broader political process. That may be the subject of their discussion. It is incorrect to suggest that we take orders from anyone. I am confident that Gigi Ugulava did not imply that either. We do not take orders from abroad; the only group that does so is Ivanishvili and his faction,” Pavlenishvili stated.

Additionally, Pavlenishvili was asked about Giorgi Gakharia’s attendance at the parliamentary investigative commission session.

“What Gakharia is doing embodies a highly collaborative strategy. If this individual and his team are attempting to establish some form of identity for themselves, it must be noted that they already possess a ‘collaborative’ identity. I cannot speak to whether they are competing with members of Ivanishvili’s faction in terms of ‘collaboration.’ If your rhetoric and decisions align with the regime, and if you echo the accusations that the regime levels against the opposition, it will ultimately reflect negatively on you. Should Giorgi Gakharia choose to remain within Ivanishvili’s faction while formally holding his current position, that would be understandable. However, if he wishes to position himself as an opposition figure, he must conduct himself and communicate as an oppositionist,” Pavlenishvili concluded.