Georgia on Edge: Govt Preps for “Coup” Amid Election Crackdown

The Georgian government is bracing to suppress what it describes as a coup attempt planned by its opponents to coincide with municipal elections on October 4th. In a move to counter the alleged plot, authorities are detaining opposition leaders and conducting large-scale special forces drills, while political figures not involved in street protests are facing a wave of compromising allegations.

The political climate has grown increasingly tense with the recent arrest of Levan Khabeishvili, a member of the political council of the “United National Movement” (UNM). He was detained for publicly calling for a government overthrow and offering $200,000 to police officers who refuse to disperse anti-government protests on election day. If convicted, Khabeishvili faces four to seven years in prison. He joins at least six other opposition leaders, primarily from the UNM or affiliated groups, who are already behind bars.

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze issued a stern warning, promising a decisive response from the state. “Overthrow, coup, burning, and hanging are, of course, punishable by law. If anyone thinks that such acts will not be answered, they are gravely mistaken. We have a lot of different information, we have concrete evidence and facts,” Kaladze declared, adding that no crime would go unpunished.

In a striking accusation, the mayor also implicated foreign diplomats, claiming that EU ambassadors were patrons of radical groups. “The relevant funds and instructions come from abroad, and these specific ambassadors are directly engaged in inciting hatred, evil, and confrontation between people,” he stated.

In parallel with the arrests, the government has been visibly preparing its security apparatus. Large-scale special forces exercises have been held near Tbilisi just three weeks before the vote. According to media reports, the drills involved testing new riot control equipment that had been procured in the spring, signaling a readiness for mass public demonstrations.

Even opposition figures pursuing a more conventional political path have been targeted. For instance, the pro-government TV channel Rustavi 2 aired a report alleging that former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the “For Georgia” party, secretly acquired a 472,000-euro apartment in Paris during the pandemic and failed to include it in his 2021 asset declaration.

Concerns over the electoral environment have been compounded by the absence of a key international observation body. The Georgian government, after initially stating it would not invite the OSCE/ODIHR mission, extended a late invitation. However, the organization declined, explaining it was unable to prepare a full-scale observation mission on such short notice. This is a significant departure, as the OSCE/ODIHR has monitored all local elections in Georgia since 2006, with the sole exception of 2014.

Political analyst Nika Chitadze remains skeptical about the opposition’s ability to challenge the ruling “Georgian Dream” party, either at the ballot box or on the streets. He noted that the mainstream opposition lacks a compelling message to win over voters and that the more radical groups have failed to articulate a clear plan for their planned October 4th rally. “So far, we are hearing the traditional calls to ‘gather and not disperse’,” Chitadze concluded, highlighting a lack of concrete strategy.