Kobakhidze Vows Peaceful October 4, Warns Against Breaking Law
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
The Georgian Dream Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, stated that upcoming events on October 4, including local elections and opposition rallies, will proceed peacefully. However, he warned that any violations of the law would be met with a firm response from law enforcement.
"October 4, including the elections, the rally, and everything else, will pass very peacefully. The main thing is that no one thinks about violating the law," Kobakhidze told journalists. "If someone does it, everyone will see the power of the new management of the law enforcement agencies. My modest advice is not to think about violating the law."
Kobakhidze accused opposition parties of acting in coordination despite public differences. "Ultimately, this entire radical opposition is one force, which we call the 'collective National Movement.' In fact, there is no difference between them, only tactical ones," he said. According to him, the rally organizers aim to weaken parties such as Lelo and Giorgi Gakharia's For Georgia.
Kobakhidze also responded to reports that protests were being financed by local figures, including the University of Georgia and former Co-Investment Fund head Giorgi Bachiashvili. He dismissed those claims, alleging instead that "foreign special services" were behind the funding. "In reality, all this is financed by foreign special services, as happened in the case of the 'Maidan' in Ukraine," he said. "Naturally, a revolution by a foreign agency cannot happen in Georgia. We will not allow this; we have all the resources for this."
He criticized a recent appeal by former law enforcement officers in exile, urging police to distance themselves from the ruling party. He recalled abuses under what he called the "bloody regime" before 2012 and said the latest calls were not surprising. "If anyone breaks the law, they will face the full consequences," Kobakhidze said.
On the elections themselves, Kobakhidze predicted a strong outcome for the ruling party. "The opposition cannot win the mayoral or municipal elections in any of the 64 municipalities," he said, adding that while they had managed to win a few races in the past, "in this case, they will not be able to win in any of the municipalities."
