"Threatening statements of Western officials about Georgia are aimed at creating fear and panic among people on the eve of the parliamentary elections and influencing the results of the elections," Georgian expert Zaal Anjaparidze told APA.
He said that the final goal of the European Union officials' statements on the suspension of visa-free travel with Georgia, as well as the decision to freeze financial aid to Georgia, is to discredit the ruling "Georgian Dream" party and force the public to support the opposition parties.
According to the expert, Western diplomatic missions accredited in Georgia are also actively involved in this process, seeking to influence Georgia's domestic policy:
"The statements we hear from some ambassadors accredited in Georgia contradict diplomatic rules. The West is already openly talking about who it wants to see in power in Georgia. The West says that if the Georgian Dream remains in power, then the path to Europe will be closed for Georgia. The fact that officials and representatives of other countries tell Georgian citizens who to vote for is nothing more than direct interference in the domestic policy of our country. If the opposition loses these elections, they will declare that the election results were falsified. Thus, the opposition can bring its supporters to the streets to protest against the election results and create a revolutionary situation in the country. But there is one important point here: if the OSCE declares that the elections are democratic and peaceful, then the opposition's actions will lose their legitimacy. The assessments of international observers on the election results will play a very important role. However, I think that regardless of the assessment, the opposition will take to the streets."
