“Rejection of the Bologna Process, rejection of the voting rights of emigrants, isolation, and closing off the country! That was the USSR — nothing else!” — this is how Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, reacted to the statement of the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, according to which, similar to local self-government elections, citizens will only be able to vote in parliamentary elections within the borders of Georgia.

She also said that repressions, terror, and elite privileges are ongoing.

“Rejection of the Bologna Process! Rejection of Erasmus programs: ‘Let students study here.’

Rejection of emigrants’ voting rights — ‘Come back here and vote here.’

Isolation and closing off the country! Repressions, terror, elite privileges, and silence!

That was the USSR — nothing else,” Zurabishvili wrote on Facebook.

As a reminder, “Georgian Dream” is beginning work on a new Electoral Code. According to the briefing held today by the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, the code will be completely revised, and under one of the changes, similar to local self-government elections, citizens will only be able to vote in parliamentary elections within Georgia’s state borders.

Also today, it was announced that the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Personal Data Protection Service, and the Business Ombudsman Institute will be abolished. In addition, from January 1, 2026, the Business Ombudsman Office will also be abolished, and its functions will be transferred to the Ministry of Economy.