Georgia’s Election Commission Bans Anti-Western Party From Elections
TBILISI – Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) revoked the registration of the Industrialist-Our Homeland bloc for the upcoming October 8 parliamentary elections, according to an announcement published on the CEC’s website.
According to CEC Head Tamar Zhvania, the bloc missed the deadline for submitting its list of parliamentary candidates.
The leadership of the Industrialists slammed the CEC’s decision, saying it was an unfounded decision aimed at marginalizing the party. The party’s leaders said they have already appealed to Tbilisi’s City Court.
The party’s leader, Gogi Topadze, said certain forces in the election committee are actively trying to force opposition parties out the race for the new parliament.
According to Zurab Tkemaladze, a member of the Industrialist Party, the CEC’s decision is in direct violation of the law. 
“The CEC’s justification for barring us was that we did not submit our candidate list on time is an outright lie. Their decision seems to be in the best interests of the ruling (Georgian Dream) party, as we have MP candidates who will obviously win” Tkemaladze said.
The Industrialists Party is a former partner of the Georgian Dream. Topadze is well-known for his virulent anti-Western, pro-Russian stances and steadfast opposition to Georgia joining NATO and the EU.
The ban on the bloc also prohibits Zviad Chitishvili’s pro-Russian Our Homeland party from running.
A dual citizen of both Georgia and Russia, Chitishvili continues to maintain all of his business dealings in Moscow and has run on a platform that includes a promise to distribute Russian passports to all Georgian citizens.
The bloc will take part in the elections for the supreme council of the Black Sea Adjara region. Unlike the Central Election Commission, the Adjara Supreme Election Commission registered the bloc without any objections.
Members of the bloc have announced that they will hold protest rallies until the CEC reinstates the registration for the national elections.
By Thea Morrison and Nicholas Waller
PHOTOS:
1. The Industrialists' Gogi Topadze
2. Our Homeland's Zviad Chitishvili and Tristan Tsitelashvili