Irakli Kupradze, a leader of the "Strong Georgia" coalition, responded to the recent departures of two members from his party by accusing the "Georgian Dream" government and the State Security Service (SUS) of orchestrating a systematic attack on democracy.

Kupradze linked the departure of Sulkhan Kochalidze and Merab Kuridze, members of the Adjara Supreme Council list, to a broader strategy by Georgian Dream and the State Security Service to weaken political opposition ahead of the upcoming elections. He claimed that this was part of a special operation launched against "Strong Georgia" and an attempt to undermine the democratic process.

According to Kupradze, such actions are typical of every election cycle, where the "Dream" and the State Security Service allegedly bribe, indoctrinate, or recruit individuals to damage political movements like "Strong Georgia". He labeled these tactics as "Bidzina's ampsons," referring to the influence of former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, whom he accused of corrupting Georgian politics and polluting the election environment.

Despite these actions, Kupradze expressed confidence that "Strong Georgia" is only growing stronger. He reported that thousands of new supporters have joined the movement in recent months, and he believes that the attempts by SUS agents to disrupt the coalition’s momentum will fail. He also accused Georgian Dream of organizing "weak diversions" to cover up their fear of Strong Georgia's rising influence.

Irakli Kupradze framed the recent defections from Strong Georgia as part of a coordinated effort by Georgian Dream and the State Security Service to stifle opposition. Despite this, he maintains that the movement is gaining strength and that the actions of the ruling party will backfire as the country heads into the critical October 26 elections.