Georgia’s prime minister says protesters want to topple his government and vows a further crackdown

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) – Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Sunday accused the opposition of trying to topple his government and vowed a further crackdown on dissent, hours after the ruling party claimed a landslide win in local elections snubbed by its main rivals.

Tens of thousands marched in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on polling day against the government’s repressive policies, and what they see as Georgia’s steady drift into Moscow’s orbit.

Kobakhidze’s Georgian Dream party late on Saturday claimed victory in every municipality across the South Caucasus country in local elections boycotted by the two main opposition blocs as a sham.

Protests and political unrest have rocked Georgia since Georgian Dream halted talks on joining the European Union last November, despite it being a cherished goal for many Georgians that has been enshrined in the country’s constitution. The move triggered waves of protests that have been met with mass arrests and police violence. It came after the longtime ruling party declared victory in a parliamentary election the opposition said was rigged.

The rallies, big and small, have continued despite a multipronged crackdown by the government through laws that target demonstrators, rights groups, nongovernmental organizations and independent media. Critics say some have been modeled on legislation passed in Russia, where President Vladimir Putin has harshly stifled criticism.

Riot police used water cannons and tear gas on Saturday to drive protesters out of the presidential palace, after they smashed the gates and attempted to enter the building.

The opposition had painted the latest march as part of a “peaceful revolution” to restore democratic values, but in a press briefing on Sunday, Kobakhidze cast it as the culmination of months of attempts to overthrow his government.

Georgian officials have repeatedly sought to present the protests as coordinated and funded from abroad, often citing statements from European officials in support of the movement.

Kobakhidze referenced this rhetoric on Sunday, as he pledged to “completely neutralize foreign agents.” He also implied that EU officials and diplomats have meddled in Georgian politics by voicing backing for the protests. But he said Georgian Dream was ready for dialogue with Tbilisi’s Western partners.

“I am ready to forget everything, to reset relations, to start from a clean slate. … We are ready for friendship and relations with everyone,” he said.

In an online statement on Sunday, the EU’s diplomatic service said the bloc “firmly rejects and condemns the disinformation against the EU’s role in Georgia.”

Five activists, including celebrated opera singer Paata Burchuladze, were detained following Saturday’s rally. According to Georgia’s Interior Ministry, they were accused of calling for the violent overthrow of the government as well as “organizing, leading and participating in group violence.” The interior ministry also vowed to find all those who tried to force entry into the presidential palace.

Georgians went to the polls on Saturday to elect the mayors of five major cities, including Tbilisi, the heads of over 50 other municipalities, and members of municipal councils. Georgia’s two main opposition blocs and several other parties critical of Georgian Dream boycotted the vote.

The statement released Sunday by the EU’s diplomatic service said Georgian Dream’s repressive policies had “drastically reduced the possibility of having competitive elections.” It was signed by the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos.

“We call for the release of all those arbitrarily detained. We urge calm and restraint in the post-election period and call on the authorities to uphold citizens’ rights to freedom of assembly and expression. A constructive and inclusive dialogue involving all political actors and civil society is essential, and we call on every side to refrain from violence,” the statement said.

More than 50 international and local groups were registered to observe the municipal vote. But none of the major international watchdogs that monitored the previous local vote in 2021 – including delegations from the European Parliament, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and major U.S. nonprofits – were present this time.

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This story corrects the number of parties participating in the election and cities where mayors were elected.