Georgia PM calls election-day protest a coup bid, promises crackdown on opposition

Tensions in Georgia escalated on Saturday as opposition protests turned violent during local elections, prompting Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to describe the unrest as an attempted coup. The PM vowed strict action against protest leaders, alleging foreign interference in what he termed a bid to overthrow the government.

Protest and violence

During the local elections, tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded Tbilisi’s Freedom Square in a “last-chance” protest called by opposition groups. Clashes with riot police occurred near the presidential palace, where protesters tried to force entry. Authorities responded with tear gas and water cannons, while several opposition leaders, including world-renowned opera singer Paata Burchuladze, were arrested.

Alleged coup and arrests

Kobakhidze asserted that the Interior Ministry had launched an investigation into calls to “violently alter Georgia’s constitutional order or overthrow state authority.” Arrested leaders face up to nine years in prison. The State Security Service (SSS) announced it had seized a large cache of firearms, ammunition, and explosives allegedly intended for subversive acts and attempts to seize the presidential palace. The SSS claimed that a Georgian national procured the weapons under instructions from a Georgian fighting in Ukraine.

Government response

“The attempted coup planned by foreign intelligence services has been foiled,” Kobakhidze said, pledging that opposition parties tied to the network would be neutralized and barred from future political activity. He referred explicitly to the United National Movement, led by jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, which had called for protests to “save Georgian democracy.”

Georgian Dream, in power since 2012, defended its actions as measures to ensure stability in a country of four million people. The ruling party has faced ongoing accusations of democratic backsliding, aligning closer to Russia, and delaying Georgia’s EU membership bid, which it rejects, citing Western interference and alleged efforts to involve Georgia in the war in Ukraine.

Opposition and rights concerns

Rights groups report that roughly 60 individuals, including opposition figures, journalists, and activists, have been jailed over the past year. Meanwhile, demonstrators vowed to continue protests, asserting that the government is illegitimate. One protester stated: “Yesterday we were massive, today we are thinner, but we will win in the end and this illegitimate government will be out.”

Election results

According to Georgia’s central election commission, the ruling Georgian Dream party secured municipal council majorities in every municipality and won mayoral races in all cities, while many opposition parties boycotted the vote.

Implications

Observers warn that the crackdown could further deepen political polarization in Georgia, while raising concern among EU partners and international watchdogs over the country’s democratic trajectory. Analysts stress that managing tensions, ensuring transparency in elections, and upholding civil liberties will be critical for regional stability.