On September 13, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the upcoming elections in Georgia would be held amidst unprecedented external interference, though not from Russia. 

Kobakhidze emphasized, "Russia does not have the resources to have a significant impact on the election processes in Georgia." He expressed regret that the elections would occur in such a context, calling it a "gross violation of electoral principles."

Kobakhidze stated that for Russia to influence the elections, it would require resources in media, political parties, and agents within those parties—resources that he claimed Russia lacks. However, he pointed out that other forces do possess these capabilities.

He attributed the “threats and blackmail” from Western countries to Georgia’s refusal to open a second front in the ongoing regional conflicts. Kobakhidze stated, "There is only one reason for all this: we have not opened a second front in Georgia." He further claimed that the opposition is hoping to regain power after the elections to potentially open a second front but asserted that "Georgian society will not return the authors of the bloody regime to power."