“The majority of immigrants oppose the regime and are actively engaged in the fight for our country’s freedom. Consequently, Georgian citizens who have emigrated have been denied the right to participate in elections,” stated Ani Tsitlidze, a member of the United National Movement.

Tsitlidze commented on the Georgian Dream’s decision to amend the Election Code, which stipulates that “the voting rules for non-resident citizens are changing; the only requirement will now be to vote in their homeland once every four years.”

“The regime’s sole aim is to prevent Georgian citizens living abroad from participating in elections. They suffered a crushing defeat among the diaspora in the last election, and they know that the majority of emigrants oppose the regime and are actively fighting for our country’s freedom. This is a significant problem for the regime.

Therefore, Georgian citizens who have emigrated are being stripped of their right to vote, people who have been forced to leave their homeland, often due to the dire socio-economic conditions created by this very regime, which has denied Georgian citizens the opportunity to live, work, and thrive with dignity at home. This move is driven by the regime’s fear and its desperate attempt to suppress the voice of those who opposed it and suffered defeat in the diaspora,” Tsitlidze concluded.