Pre-election search operations are psychological manipulation, says President

In a recent media briefing, President Salome Zourabichvili condemned the recent search operations conducted in the country, asserting that their purpose is to instill fear in the populace and deter voter participation in the upcoming elections. She characterized these actions as psychological manipulations aimed at intimidating citizens regarding the casting of their votes.

“This (the search operations) is intended to make people afraid, to prevent them from going to the polls, and to intimidate them about submitting their votes in the manner they believe is right. These are merely psychological manipulations,” President Zourabichvili stated.
She emphasized that the political reality should be one free from electoral pressure, calling on society to withstand it.

“We should not be intimidated. This is aimed at scaring people away from voting. It’s all psychological manipulation that no longer works on the people of Georgia and will not work in the future,” the President stressed.

Zourabichvili asserted that the new political landscape should be one where electoral coercion is a thing of the past.

“Our political reality must be such that there is no longer electoral pressure or coercion of individuals to attend rallies, whether through force, persuasion, or money. This should belong to the past, and I am confident that it will,” she remarked.

President’s comments came in response to a series of raids conducted on October 24 by the Ministry of Finance’s investigative service. The raids targeted several locations across Tbilisi, including the offices of the American company Concentrix Georgia in Vake Plaza, as well as the homes of Atlantic Council employees and certain residents of Kutaisi.