Systemic audit of power in Georgia (post-election stress test)
They tried to stop our election monitoring by denying our coordinator re-entry. We turned that shock into a stronger audit of the system's core: the post-election consolidation of power. We provide diplomatic missions, INGOs, and research institutions with a data-driven stress test—fusing AI-powered analysis, a live Transparency Log, and citizen signals to track power consolidation long after the votes are counted.
→ Our foundational research: 10 analytical briefings on Georgia's power system
→ Our foundational research: 10 analytical briefings on Georgia's power system
Our Audit in Brief
We combine three streams into a single audit of post-election power consolidation.
- Transparency LogWe file formal requests and track responses to measure institutional openness over time → Open Transparency Log
- AI AnalysisModels map actors, narratives, and policy/finance signals beyond election day. → Read methodology
- Citizen SignalsAnonymous inputs surface irregularities; we verify and aggregate patterns, not cases. → Send an anonymous signal
Indicators we track:
In a captured state, elections are not decided on election day—they are shaped by the systematic deployment of resources, narratives, and institutional pressure long before and after the vote. We audit six core mechanisms through which the ruling party maintains control, tracking each from the pre-election environment through post-election consolidation
- Media narrativesTracking who controls the message: ownership structures, state-sanctioned narratives (e.g., "Peace vs. War"), and regulatory enforcement through bodies like GNCC.
- Administrative leverageElectoral code manipulation, weaponization of public sector employment, and strategic timing of infrastructure announcements for electoral gain.
- Digital tacticsCoordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB), content takedowns, and bot networks—including those linked to government communications departments.
- International tiesAnti-Western rhetoric used to delegitimize opposition, and strategic partnerships (China, UAE) that provide capital without democratic conditionality.
- Legal & economic toolsThe "donor-contractor loop": procurement contracts awarded to ruling party donors, plus bespoke legislation to protect elite assets.
- Corporate networksThe revolving door between government posts and the business empire of ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, including Mayor Kaladze's holdings.
Knowledge Base / 10 Base Reports
Our analysis is grounded in deep-dive research into the key actors, networks, and systems that shape Georgia's political and informational environment. These foundational briefings provide essential context for our ongoing monitoring.
An overview of the political environment in Tbilisi ahead of the October 2025 mayoral election, including the key candidates, public sentiment, and pressing urban challenges .
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 23 September 2025
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 23 September 2025
A deep-dive analysis of Georgia's informal leader, from his business career in Russia to his current system of influence over the country's state institutions, economy, and media.
Status: v1.1 |
Last Updated: 23 September 2025
Status: v1.1 |
Last Updated: 23 September 2025
An in-depth profile of Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, analyzing his political career, business interests, governance model, and the key figures and networks within his administration .
Status: v1.02 | (By NOUS)
Last Updated: 23 September 2025
Status: v1.02 | (By NOUS)
Last Updated: 23 September 2025
An examination of the key figures in Bidzina Ivanishvili's inner circle, detailing the structure of his informal power network across politics, security services, and business .
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 24 September 2025
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 24 September 2025
A procedural breakdown of the legal framework governing the Tbilisi mayoral election, including an analysis of how recent legislative amendments create a structurally uneven playing field .
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 24 September 2025
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 24 September 2025
A detailed map of Georgia's polarized media ecosystem, analyzing the architecture of control, dominant state-sanctioned narratives, and the escalating climate of coercion against dissenting voices .
Status: v1.2 |
Last Updated: 1 October 2025
Status: v1.2 |
Last Updated: 1 October 2025
A comprehensive profile of the ruling party's key ideologue and newly appointed head of the State Security Service, documenting his role as the regime's "voice" and "shield".
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 26 September 2025
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 26 September 2025
A review of Tbilisi's current digital services and 'smart city' initiatives, revealing a gap between the PR narrative of modernization and the reality of opaque procurement processes benefiting patronage networks .
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 26 September 2025
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 26 September 2025
A live stress test of Georgia's CSO sector that revealed a "silence of weakness" driven by a rational fear of state retaliation, institutional fatigue, and the geopolitical toxicity of the case in question.
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 26 September 2025
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 26 September 2025
A real-time audit of Georgia's legislature where a targeted outreach to 22+ ruling-party MPs produced a 0% response rate, providing data-driven evidence of the systemic atrophy of parliamentary oversight.
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 26 September 2025
Status: v1.0 |
Last Updated: 26 September 2025
Transparency Log: A Record of Systemic Engagement
The Transparency Log is our core methodological innovation. We systematically file formal information requests to Georgian state bodies—through local partners to ensure legal standing—and publish both the requests and the responses (or lack thereof) in a public, timestamped record.
This is not advocacy. It is measurement. We treat institutional silence, procedural delays, and evasive responses as data points that reveal how the system operates under pressure. Each entry documents not just what information was requested, but how the system responded: registration numbers, response times, referrals to other bodies, and the substance (or absence) of answers.
The log transforms bureaucratic friction into verifiable evidence—a diagnostic tool for measuring transparency, accountability, and the real accessibility of legal remedies in Georgia's pre- and post-election environment.
At-a-glance (as of 30 September 2025): Requests filed ≈135+ • Responses 18 (Wave 0: 8; Wave 1: 10) • Pending/Overdue 100+ • Institutions covered 20+
This is not advocacy. It is measurement. We treat institutional silence, procedural delays, and evasive responses as data points that reveal how the system operates under pressure. Each entry documents not just what information was requested, but how the system responded: registration numbers, response times, referrals to other bodies, and the substance (or absence) of answers.
The log transforms bureaucratic friction into verifiable evidence—a diagnostic tool for measuring transparency, accountability, and the real accessibility of legal remedies in Georgia's pre- and post-election environment.
At-a-glance (as of 30 September 2025): Requests filed ≈135+ • Responses 18 (Wave 0: 8; Wave 1: 10) • Pending/Overdue 100+ • Institutions covered 20+
CAT AGI Timeline
We use the October 4th election as a diagnostic lens to audit how power operates in Georgia—before, during, and after the vote.
Pre-election (Aug–Sep 2025)
Launching the Transparency Log and mapping power indicators: media control, administrative leverage, and corporate networks.
Election day (4 Oct 2025)
A milestone, not the finish. Monitoring incidents and verifying citizen signals through our secure channel.
Aftermath (Oct–Dec 2025)
Tracking post-election consolidation: appointments, budget decisions, and institutional responses documented in our final report.
Who is it for
Intended audiences
• Diplomats, international observers, and INGOs seeking neutral, source-cited analysis
• Research centers and media needing evidence-based reporting on governance and power
• Partners interested in transparent methods and collaboration
Request a briefing pack → (press)
• Research centers and media needing evidence-based reporting on governance and power
• Partners interested in transparent methods and collaboration
Request a briefing pack → (press)
Frequently asked questions
No. CAT AGI is an independent, non-partisan research initiative funded entirely by its founder, Miraziz Bazarov. We operate under the principle of a "post-political systemic auditor". Our focus is not on supporting or opposing any political candidates, but on objectively studying and documenting the methods and instruments of power used by all actors in the political landscape.
While we use standard Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and verify citizen signals, our core methodological innovation is the "Transparency Log". We systematically send formal information requests to state bodies and state-owned companies through our Georgian partners. This log is not a list of complaints; it is a live research tool designed to measure the transparency and responsiveness of the system itself.
No. The Tbilisi mayoral election serves as a time-bound "lens" through which we study the broader mechanisms of governance and power in Georgia. The vote on October 4th is a key milestone, not the finish line. Our analysis will continue post-election, and the project itself is the first proof-of-concept for the larger Indie 6xPhD research program exploring new architectures of knowledge and power.
We collect information through our secure "Citizen Signals Channel" on the website. Submissions can be made anonymously. Our primary commitment is to source protection. We do not act as a rapid-response mission and never intervene in real time. All received signals undergo a verification process. We will only publish information in an aggregated and fully anonymized format in our post-election analytical reports to identify patterns, not to expose individuals.
NOUS AGI is our experimental AI system - essentially a simple Lisp-based project that provides semi-automated coordination between multiple large language models (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Llama). It helps us process Georgian-language content and identify patterns that would be difficult to detect manually from a remote location. We maintain full transparency about its experimental nature and document any technical limitations as part of our research methodology.
About the Founder
The Auditor in Exile
CAT AGI was founded by Miraziz Bazarov—a political refugee whose human rights defender status is confirmed by UN Special Rapporteurs (AL UZB 3/2021).
His path to systemic analysis was forged through crisis: eight years of transformational work—from somatic therapy with 600+ clients to founding Mahalla Media, an independent platform that challenged authoritarian narratives in Uzbekistan until its forced closure in 2023.
On 27 August 2025, Georgian authorities denied him re-entry, transforming the project from traditional fieldwork into a resilient, remote-first audit—proving that systemic oversight doesn't require physical presence.
CAT AGI serves as the first field test for the Indie 6xPhD research program.
His path to systemic analysis was forged through crisis: eight years of transformational work—from somatic therapy with 600+ clients to founding Mahalla Media, an independent platform that challenged authoritarian narratives in Uzbekistan until its forced closure in 2023.
On 27 August 2025, Georgian authorities denied him re-entry, transforming the project from traditional fieldwork into a resilient, remote-first audit—proving that systemic oversight doesn't require physical presence.
CAT AGI serves as the first field test for the Indie 6xPhD research program.
