Georgian ruling party holds massive rally in Tbilisi ahead of elections

The ruling party Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia has organised a massive rally in Tbilisi's Freedom Square ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

The rally participants include not only residents of Tbilisi but also people from across the regions of Georgia, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

From the early hours of the morning, people began arriving in the city to attend gathering. Before the rally, a march took place, which included members of parliament, ministers, athletes, and public figures.

The rally will see speeches from the founder and honorary chairman of the ruling party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the current leader of Georgian Dream, Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili, Tbilisi Mayor and Secretary-General of the political association Kakha Kaladze, as well as the party’s executive secretary, Mamuka Mdinaradze.

Before the political addresses, Georgian show business figures held a concert. Due to the large number of attendees, traffic in Freedom Square, along Rustaveli Avenue, and surrounding streets has been completely closed off. Prior to the Tbilisi event, pre-election rallies were held in all major cities across Georgia, including Ambrolauri, Akhaltsikhe, Batumi, Gori, Zugdidi, Kutaisi, and Rustavi.

Meanwhile, the United States has expressed ongoing concerns about the electoral process in Georgia. Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, made this clear during a seminar at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

“We have consistently voiced our concerns about the trajectory of democratic institutions and the electoral process in Georgia, and we remain deeply concerned,” Sullivan said.

He further claimed that Tbilisi's growing trade and economic relations with Beijing could have implications for Georgia's security and sovereignty. “Ultimately, Georgia's future should be determined by its people through a free and fair process. I don’t think anyone in Georgia, or its citizens, would want to pledge their country to another state, including China,” Sullivan stated.

Notably, the parliamentary elections in Georgia, scheduled for October 26, will be the first to use electronic voting machines, which will be installed at 74% of polling stations, covering nearly 90% of voters. In addition to ballot-counting devices, technology for voter verification will also be used.

By Aghakazim Guliyev