YEREVAN. – The domestic political situation in Georgia is rather tense in the lead-up to the country’s parliamentary elections slated for October 1, Georgian Studies specialist Joni Melikyan said during a press conference on Saturday.  

In response to the query as to the Georgian-Armenian community’s reaction to the viciousness that was exposed in a Georgian prison, Melikyan noted that there could have been Armenians among those who were subjected to such sadism, and the leading Georgian-Armenian figures have deplored these cruelties and demanded from the authorities to punish the guilty.    

Reflecting on the parliamentary election campaigns in Georgia’s predominantly-Armenian-populated regions, Melikyan maintained that such campaigns are virtually non-existent in those areas.   

“By and large, the Georgian Armenians will support the current authorities. Opposition “Georgian Dream” Party’s positions are not strong, specifically in [Georgia’s southeastern] Samtskhe-Javakheti [Province, where most of the population is Armenian],” Joni Melikyan stated, and concluded:  

“We don’t have a political party in Javakhk [that is, Javakheti]. The Armenian politicians are represented in different parties, and the Armenian community plays a small role in the country’s domestic political processes. The national minorities need to be informed and have to integrate into the country’s political processes.”