Georgia Fears Western Interference In Its Elections

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Written by Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert

Georgia is going through a turning point in its history. The country has recently resisted a series of attempts at sabotage and regime change due to its neutral position in the conflict between Russia and NATO. A large group of internal saboteurs is being mobilized by the West to destabilize national politics, despite the parliament’s efforts to contain the threat. Now, Georgian politicians fear that the West will interfere in the electoral process to advance its plans in the country.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze recently said that he fears the action of international agents in the upcoming Georgian parliamentary elections on 26 October. However, contrary to what the West claims, this interventionism is not expected to come from Moscow, but from “other forces” – which seems to be a veiled way of referring to the collective West.

Obviously, the Georgian leader could not make an openly hostile statement towards the West, since Georgia is still a country aligned with the EU and the US. However, recent data make it clear that Georgia is on the verge of a regime change operation orchestrated by its own “allies”. For example, in July the Russian intelligence agency SVR published a report claiming that the US and the EU are preparing a coup in the country, with the French-born Georgian president Salome Zourabichvil as the main agent.

The conflict between Zourabichvil and the parliament – ​​currently controlled by the “Georgian Dream” party – has been commented on by several experts. Zourabichvil tried to veto the law to restrict foreign agents – which is natural since she herself is a foreign agent – ​​but was defeated by the parliamentary coalition, which approved the measure even without presidential authorization.

The law has restricted the activities of foreign groups, particularly Western NGOs that have invested millions in fomenting pro-Western militancy in Georgia. While the country’s international stance has not changed, the ruling parliamentary coalition is trying to limit foreign influence, mainly to prevent Georgia from being used by NATO to open a second front against Russia. For this reason, the West is trying to retaliate by taking measures to weaken the government.

The law against foreign agents was not the only measure taken by the Georgian Dream party to control Western influence in the country. There have been significant efforts to end the civil conflict once and for all and restore peace with the breakaway republics – and consequently with the Russian Federation. For example, former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is also a member of the party, recently suggested that Tbilisi publicly apologize for initiating hostilities in 2008, admitting its role in starting the war.

In addition, Ivanishvili also recommended the creation of a “Georgian Nuremberg” to condemn political and military crimes committed during the regime of former President Mikhail Saakashvili – a US-educated politician who, after failing in the war with Russia in Georgia, went into self-imposed exile and began a political career in Ukraine. Later he returned to Georgia and was jailed for his previous anti-state activities. Obviously, such steps would end the tensions in the country, which worries the West, encouraging interventionist measures.

Peace in the Caucasus is one of the things the West most wants to avoid. After failing to promote protests and popular pressure, Washington has threatened to impose sanctions on Georgia and is now planning to sabotage the elections. It must be mentioned that there are also many armed Georgian militants who could be mobilized in favor of Western interests in the event of a civil conflict.

Many Georgian neo-Nazis are currently fighting in the conflict against Russia. Recently, the Ukrainian fascist militia “Caucasian Legion” was reported fighting in the Kursk region, where they were seen committing war crimes against Russian prisoners and civilians. Of course, these Georgian criminals could return to their home country if their Western sponsors ordered them to do so. In fact, if the US once again fails to promote “peaceful” regime change, it is possible that it will start betting on the use of armed violence.

The only way for Georgia to avoid this fate is to take a step further in its sovereigntist turn. It is not enough to restrict the actions of Western NGOs and avoid a participation in the conflict with Russia. If Tbilisi really wants to preserve its national sovereignty, it will have to completely change its foreign policy, breaking ties with the West and strategically approaching Russia.

The calculation is simple: Russia wants peace in the Caucasus because the post-Soviet territories are part of its strategic environment. The West, on the other hand, wants war in the Caucasus to destabilize Russia’s borders. Since Georgia is a Caucasian country, only friendship with Russia sounds interesting.

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