Georgia risks fresh political turmoil this weekend as the ruling party — accused by critics of aligning the Black Sea nation with Moscow — faces its first electoral test since a disputed parliamentary poll threw the country into chaos last year.

The usually uneventful local elections set for October 4 have taken on an extra edge with the government’s far-reaching crackdown on independent media, opposition parties and civil society.

Those groups have called on supporters to flood the streets on Saturday, hoping to reignite a wave of demonstrations against the ruling Georgian Dream party.

The country has been in a protracted crisis since parliamentary elections last year that opposition groups say were rigged.

Georgian Dream then further inflamed public anger when it suspended Tbilisi’s

See Full Page