Zurab Makharadze, one of the founders of Alt-Info

To gain the right to participate in the parliamentary elections, the pro-Russian and homophobic party Conservative Movement/Alt Info submitted 50,000 voter signatures to the Central Election Commission.

According to Zurab Makharadze, one of the founders of Alt Info, signatures were collected by volunteers throughout Georgia over the course of a month.

According to election legislation, a political party that does not have a member of parliament elected by its nomination at the time of parliamentary elections must submit to the CEC a list of at least 25,000 voters supporting its participation in the parliamentary elections.

"We have collected 50,000 signatures because we know that the government is very motivated to undermine us or create some problems for us. The data should be verified, and the CEC should give us an answer within about two weeks. There is no reason to miss signatures. The rest depends on the CEC. Obviously, if some political decision is made, we will also make a political response," said the chairman of the party, Giorgi Kardava.

After completing the election registration and receiving the number, the Conservative Movement/Alt Info is going to participate in the pre-election campaign and present its own program.

The extremist group Alt Info founded the party at the end of 2021. On July 5 of the same year, it organized an action against the Pride parade announced by Tbilisi Pride, which resulted in large-scale violence against journalists and civil activists. Two years later, in July 2023, Alt Info also disrupted the Pride Fest planned on private territory. The perpetrators of the violence were not held accountable.

After Georgia was granted the status of a candidate country for EU membership, members and supporters of Alt Info started a campaign to burn EU flags.

Alt Info/Conservative Movement received 577,034 GEL in donations in 2022, 36,634 in 2023, and 1 045 GEL this year. Alt Info also owns a television station, which is financed by hundreds of thousands of GEL every month by the retired aunt of one of the party's leaders, Konstantine Morgoshia. The party has been fined 217 482 GEL by the court for hiding a non-monetary donation.

Georgian News
Georgian News
is an independent socio-political online edition. The website is operated by the Information Resources Network (IRN).