If you have an illegal item just 5 centimeters in size in your car, you can't take it across the border – who are they trying to fool?! Do they think people are idiots? The claim that Bachiashvili left the country without anyone noticing is nonsense – there were people who facilitated this.

Opposition politician Bacho Dolidze made this statement on Palitra News's program "Days Newsroom", commenting on the departure of the former General Director of the Co-Investment Fund, Giorgi Bachiashvili, from the country.

According to Dolidze, "the system is trying to claim that there is no internal collapse."

"This is like a kindergarten. The system is trying to say that there is no collapse and that no specific individuals facilitated this process. When you cross the border, it’s not like you’re hiding in a secret compartment. If you have an illegal item just 5 centimeters in size in your car, you can't take it across. The car goes through a scanner. Who are they trying to fool?! They think people are idiots. The structure and the system have collapsed, and now everyone is thinking only about themselves. Because of this, there were individuals who facilitated his departure. The idea that he left unnoticed is nonsense. Everyone understands that sooner or later, this government will be finished. That’s why they are focused on protecting themselves, each in their own way," Dolidze said.

Additionally, Bacho Dolidze commented on the violent attack against "Crab Coffee" employees. The opposition politician does not believe this was a coincidence or unrelated to the protests.

"We have a very harsh experience. Anyone who has participated in this civil activism in any way or tried to do something has faced some kind of retaliation. In the past, they would offer people coffee from a truck, and that truck was smashed. Yesterday, we learned that two young women were attacked. There is no segment left that hasn’t been targeted in some way. After all this, believing that these are just coincidences and not connected to the protests—well, what can I say? Sure, anything is possible, coincidences happen. But when your name is so tarnished that no one believes anything you say… If we are going to attribute even the destruction of a coffee truck to coincidence, then fine, let’s say random attacks happen in Tbilisi, and they just don’t get investigated. But unfortunately, the reality is the opposite," Dolidze stated.

Dolidze also spoke about the ongoing protests in the capital, noting that "Georgian Dream" is not in an easy position.

"Our problem is that lately, we pay too much attention to government propaganda. This is political autism. 'Deep state, deep state'—it’s not even funny anymore. Inside the country, there is so much turmoil, and yet they put on a serious face and talk to us about global political issues. The only place where government propaganda actually worked was on the war and peace narrative. That indeed had an impact, both in Tbilisi and the regions. But since then, many things have changed, including public sentiment. If a poll were conducted today—even just to measure the credibility of Georgian Dream—I doubt their rating would be very high. Because of this, I wouldn’t pay much attention to that narrative.

I don’t believe Georgian Dream is in an easy position at all. We already know their foreign policy situation and whom they have to deal with. Internally, it’s a complete disaster. When we talk about how difficult it is for the opposition and demonstrators today, let’s also consider that if you are a well-known face from Georgian Dream, you probably think three times before going to the supermarket alone. There are a lot of angry people here," Dolidze stated.

According to Dolidze, the country is in a "very difficult political situation," which is neither easy for Georgian Dream nor for the protestors.

"We see our citizens taking a very firm stance—they are not going to change their views. On the other hand, we see a very stubborn, small political group that has been clinging to every sector of the state for 12–13 years, refusing to let go, not allowing even a tiny bit of independence. We see people who are fined every day, yet they still come out and stand their ground.

It is a very difficult political situation, which is not easy for either side. We can't say that these are easy days for the people standing in the streets, but believe me, it’s not easy for the government either," Dolidze said.