On 29 October, the opposition United National Movement party (UNM) held their final campaign rally at Freedom Square in Tbilisi. Members and supporters of the UNM marched from Republic Square to Freedom Square in the centre of the capital city of Tbilisi, with Georgian flags and banners that read “let's say goodbye to Bidzina.”
“Historic elections are ahead of us. We all must go to the polling stations and express our unwavering will on October 31. Our population demands change, our population deserves change, and our population will surely make a change. There are two days left before the victory and I am sure that in just two days, at eight o’clock in the evening, we will celebrate the victory of Georgia,” stated one of the leaders of UNM Zaal Udumashvili.
According to a public opinion poll commissioned by Imedi TV, the ruling Georgia Dream (GD) is set to receive 56%, the UNM 19.9%, Alliance of Patriots 4.6%, Strategy Aghmashenebeli 4.5%, European Georgia 4.3%, Lelo 3.9%, Girchi 3%, Labour party 2.2% and United Georgia 1.6% of the votes in the upcoming elections.
The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released their second interim election media monitoring report for the elections. The report revealed that the polarisation of TV news programmes was even more intense than during the first reporting period; that instances of negative coverage and defamation of the opposition by pro-government TV channels increased sharply; and that TV stations that are critical of the government increased their negative tone towards the ruling administration and the government. The report added that accuracy remains problematic in newspapers as they often rely on unverified sources.
Digital media met a higher journalistic standard, covering a wider range of electoral players and refraining from abusive language. However, some online outlets favour the ruling party and discredit others. Radio remained the most balanced and neutral medium, though it has the least influence of all media segments. It provides a relatively impartial account of events but fails to create exclusive editorial content.
The report outlined that all media segments were providing more diverse coverage of the electoral landscape, and less use is being made of abusive, discriminatory and gender-insensitive language. But analytical reporting of electoral programs and social and economic issues of potential public interest remains a rarity. In addition, it was emphasised that all TV stations were following the role of foreign actors in the Georgian elections, with a focus on the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Russian Federation and the United States. Western countries and alliances are largely portrayed in a positive light.
“Foreign actors-related topics include European parliamentarian’s messages and their assessments, voting in European Parliament, the European Parliament regulation on the implementation of the Association Agreement between Georgia and the EU, pandemics and elections, the arrival of international election observers, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s message on the importance of international observers arrival in Georgia, Georgian Prime Minister’s Giorgia Gakharia’s online address to the UN General Assembly, Gakharia’s telephone conversation with the US Presidential Adviser, Cyber Security Forum, Code of Conduct for Political Parties, Parliamentary Elections 2020, opposition party visit to Brussels, Emerging Europe article on startups in Georgia,” the research noted.
