‘Georgian National Legion’ Is The Main Joker Of The Georgian Opposition – OpEd

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After the Tbilisi City Court kept former President Mikheil Saakashvili in custody on February 6, the main opposition force in Georgia, the United National Movement, announced a boycott of parliamentary activities and announced an “emergency regime.” The new chairman of the United National Movement, Levan Khabeishvili, said he saw no prospect of continuing political discussion with the current government. 

“From now on you will have no peace,” with these words the politician announced the start of the forceful actions of the opposition against the official Tbilisi. Levan Khabeishvili called on all political forces of Georgia to unite against the ruling Georgian Dream party. In his appeal, the oppositionist stressed that only mass activism of civilians can make the authorities give up their powers. 

“We’ll step up the pressure day by day, rally by rally, we have the potential to do so,” Levan Khabeishvili said. It’s not clear to everyone what potential the main Georgian oppositionist was talking about.

In November 2022 it became known about the activation of recruitment to the Georgian National Legion (a private military company created by Mikheil Saakashvili). At that time, many believed that the Georgian opposition intended to increase support for Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.

However, between November and February, Ukrainian telegram channels reported only an outflow of Georgian mercenaries. “The Georgian National Legion,” which had suffered serious losses in the Donbass, practically disappeared from combat reports, and some Georgian PMC commanders were spotted in Tbilisi.

“Fifty armed professionals with the support of the popular masses can make a coup d’état,” is a quote from the theorist of “color revolutions” Gene Sharp.

Today’s Georgian opposition seems to have all the necessary tools to seize power. Trained fighters of the Georgian Legion under the leadership of battle-hardened commanders in Ukraine are the main ingredient of the impending wave of protests.

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