Georgian PM says opposition has “no chance” of success ahead of planned protest

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has dismissed the opposition’s calls for mass demonstrations, insisting that even at the peak of mobilisation, protesters will not be able to overthrow the government.

The protest action, described by its organisers as a “peaceful overthrow of power” and a “peaceful flag revolution,” is scheduled to begin on October 4 at 3 p.m. local time with a student march and will culminate on Rustaveli Avenue, the central thoroughfare of Tbilisi.

“Even in conditions of maximum mobilisation, the opposition will be represented today very weakly, hence they have no prospects for success,” Kobakhidze said, according to Georgian media reports cited by Caliber.Az.

The prime minister stressed that public support for his ruling Georgian Dream party remains decisive. “Today you will see that about a million of our fellow citizens will support the Georgian Dream, and you will see that much less, a hundred or two hundred times less people will gather on Rustaveli Avenue today. When our rating is 65%, how can an intelligent person think about overthrowing and organising a revolution?” Kobakhidze said.

He also underlined that the authorities’ response will depend entirely on the conduct of demonstrators. “Everything will depend on how smartly the opposition will behave: they will turn to violence – they will get a response, they will not – everything will be fine,” he added.

Earlier, the Georgian Interior Ministry urged participants of the planned rally to comply with the law and follow the instructions of the police. “Every fact of law violation by the police will be followed by an appropriate legal response,” the ministry said in a statement. It noted that officers from various Interior Ministry units have been mobilised across Tbilisi to ensure public safety and order.

The demonstration is being organised by representatives of civil society groups and opposition parties that chose not to participate in the local elections. Among them are the United National Movement, Agmashenebeli Strategy, and the Coalition for Change. Protesters from across Georgia are also expected to travel to the capital to join residents of Tbilisi in the rally.

By Tamilla Hasanova