Georgia prepares for a divisive election which could determine its future in Europe

JAVAKHETI, Georgia (AP) — When Vahan Agayan goes to nan polling position successful Georgia’s parliamentary predetermination Saturday, he says he and his woman will ballot arsenic directed to by officials of nan ruling Georgian Dream party.

Agayan has a sheep workplace adjacent nan separator pinch Armenia and Turkey, 135 kilometers (83 miles) westbound of — and a world distant from — nan Georgian capital, Tbilisi. There, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched successful a pre-election demonstration successful favour of joining nan European Union.

But successful nan mountainous Javakheti region, what Agayan wants astir is stability.

A fewer years ago, wolves sewage into his barn and killed half nan sheep, almost destroying nan livelihoods of dozens of families. For Agayan, nan EU is acold away; what matters are nan section leaders who person nan powerfulness to make aliases break mini farmers for illustration him.

“Most people” will ballot for nan location lawmaker from Georgian Dream, he said.

“An aged canine is ever amended than a caller one,” he said, suggesting a alteration successful powerfulness could beryllium unpredictable.

Many successful this South Caucasus state of 3.7 cardinal group judge nan predetermination will beryllium nan astir important of their lives, a pivotal ballot connected nan chance to subordinate nan European Union. It pits a conjugation of guidance parties against Georgian Dream, which has governed successful an progressively authoritarian manner since 2012.

Polls bespeak astir 80% of Georgians favour joining nan EU, and nan constitution obliges leaders to prosecute rank successful some nan bloc and NATO.

In July, Brussels put Georgia’s bid for EU introduction on clasp indefinitely aft Georgian Dream passed a “foreign power law,” modeled connected akin authorities successful Russia. It requires media, nongovernmental organizations and different nonprofit groups to registry arsenic “pursuing nan interests of a overseas power” if they person much than 20% of their backing from abroad.

Georgian Dream argues it is needed to curb harmful overseas actors trying to destabilize nan country. Many journalists and activists opportunity its existent extremity is to stigmatize them and restrict debate earlier nan election.

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This story, supported by nan Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, is portion of an ongoing Associated Press bid covering threats to populist successful Europe.

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Georgia has agelong had an uneasy narration pinch Russia. For astir of nan past century, it was ruled from Moscow until it gained independency successful 1991, pursuing nan illness of nan Soviet Union.

In 2008, Georgia fought and mislaid a little warfare pinch Russia, which still occupies immoderate of its territory.

When Georgian Dream came to powerfulness successful 2012, it vowed to reconstruct civilian authorities and “reset” relations pinch Moscow. The statement — group up by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his luck successful Russia — besides promised to prosecute EU membership.

That reassured galore Georgians who had seen “with their ain eyes,” nan threat from Russia and looked to nan West to protect them, said Natia Seskuria, executive head of nan Regional Institute for Security Studies successful Tbilisi.

But past Georgian Dream started search toward Moscow: passing nan overseas power rule contempt wide protests, abstaining from world sanctions connected Russia complete its warfare successful Ukraine, and severely curtailing LGBTQ+ rights.

However, nan party’s authoritarian plaything cannot beryllium explained by power from Moscow alone, Seskuria said. Instead, she suggested, nan intent of nan overseas power rule is besides “power preservation.”

She indicated Georgian Dream’s leaders watched nan Kremlin usage caller laws to successfully crack down connected critics and decided to do nan same.

Some businesspeople who support Georgian Dream besides person an liking successful seeing nan statement reelected arsenic they person profited from its tenure. At a pro-government rally successful Tbilisi Wednesday, family members of group who were awarded plum jobs successful railways and infrastructure were spotted successful nan crowd.

Georgian Dream is conducting a “hybrid war” against its citizens, said Zurab Chiaberashvili, overseas argumentation caput from nan United National Movement guidance party.

Ahead of nan election, run ads for nan ruling statement claimed a “Global War Party” was seeking to power nan EU and nan U.S., widen nan conflict successful Ukraine, and unit Georgian Dream from power.

Billboards besides appeared, contrasting black-and-white images of demolition successful Ukraine pinch colorful images of life successful Georgia alongside nan slogan, “Say nary to warfare — take peace.”

“Everyone is acrophobic of war,” said Nairik Ukanyan, nan proprietor of a colony shop successful nan Javakheti region, which is populated by taste Armenians. Like Ukanyan, galore group speak Armenian and Russian but constricted Georgian.

Ukanyan said he sewage his news astir Georgia from Russian television, which says relations betwixt nan 2 countries are friendly.

“Why do we request a narration pinch Europe?” he asked. Agayan, nan sheep farmer, agreed: “Even if I had 20 children, I would not nonstop them to Europe.”

The West, he said, is “afraid of Russia and wants everyone to wantonness it.”

Georgian Dream appears to keeps a tight grip connected power. Its officials paid respective villagers astir $110 each to seduce others to support nan ruling party, Agayan said.

But not each resident indicated they would backmost nan party.

“I americium a azygous mother and we are very poor,” said Gayane Batirova, 41.

Her full family antecedently voted for Georgian Dream, she explained. She had been told to ballot for nan statement again but would not because it hadn’t improved her life.

AP visited Georgian Dream’s section office successful Javakheti, but nary 1 responded to requests for comment.

In nan municipality of Ninotsminda, agency signs were displayed successful Russian and an charismatic said everyone was retired “on business” and unavailable for an interview.

Back successful Tbilisi, Georgian Dream lawmaker Maka Bochorishvili said nan party’s main extremity is European integration based connected “peace and dignity,” alluding to nan party’s blimpish values.

“At liking is bid and stableness successful this country,” she said.

But while Georgian Dream is telling voters it wants to subordinate Europe, its displacement toward adopting Russia-style laws has costs it support successful nan West. As good arsenic nan EU freezing rank talks, nan U.K. suspended its information speech pinch Georgia and canceled different defense talks, concerned astir threats to democracy.

These moves are “good news for Russia,” Seskuria said, because nan Kremlin is “inherently interested” successful Georgia being trim disconnected from nan West, including nan nonaccomplishment of financial support and done sanctions.

Many Georgians fearfulness if Georgian Dream is reelected, it could termination disconnected aspirations to EU rank entirely.

“We are astatine a crossroads — either becoming a Russian puppet authorities aliases being independent and free,” said Tina Bezhanidze, 26. Wrapped successful nan Georgian flag, she was 1 of tens of thousands who joined a pro-EU objection successful Tbilisi connected Sunday.

Bezhanidze, an economist, came to nan objection pinch her parents and 3 younger sisters, successful a show of cross-generational support for Georgia’s European ambitions.

Even successful distant Javakheti, not everyone thought aligning pinch Russia was a bully idea.

“Of people we request nan European Union,” said Eghsam Manasyan, who was collecting potatoes successful her rootlike patch.

She and her hubby Artur told AP they wished location were much jobs successful nan region.

“All our lives we were pinch Russia and nan Soviet Union,” Artur Manasyan said, adding that Georgia needs to “look everywhere” for opportunities.

“We still don’t really cognize what Europe is,” he said.

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Sophiko Megrelidze contributed to this report.