ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - November 13, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - November 13, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• Russia and Iran Link National Payment Systems
• Georgian Opposition Parties Refuse to Enter Parliament
• Sri Lankan Parliamentary Election on November 14, 2024

Russia and Iran Link National Payment Systems

Russia and Iran have linked their national payment systems to counteract Western sanctions on both countries and reduce reliance on the dollar in international transactions. The move largely aligns with Russian President Vladimir Putin's push to promote alternatives to the SWIFT global payment system; Iranian banks have been excluded from SWIFT since 2018. Most Russian banks have been similarly excluded since 2022. The initial connection immediately made Iranian bank cards available for use within Russia. However, Russian cards are not yet available to use in Iran. Officials say Russian cards will be operable in Iran during a later phase of implementation, but did not detail a timeline.

Georgian Opposition Parties Refuse to Enter Parliament

On November 12, 2024, several Georgian opposition parties refused their parliamentary mandates, arguing a new parliament could not be convened based on the results of Georgia's October 26 parliamentary elections. The Georgian opposition—as well as international observers—say the ruling Georgian Dream party interfered in the October 26 vote and falsified results to maintain its grip on power. By refusing to enter parliament based on these results, the opposition parties set a symbolic challenge to the election results, which may have legal ramifications.

Sri Lankan Parliamentary Election on November 14, 2024

On November 14, 2024, Sri Lankans will vote to select a new parliament following the recent election of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. President Dissanayake’s Marxist-leaning People’s Liberation Front party (PLF) held only three seats in the last parliament out of 225, and he is now likely hoping to expand this share to secure greater support for his future policy initiatives. Dissanayake is likely seeking to boost PLF representation in the body while his post-election popularity remains high. Mail-in voting for the parliamentary election began on October 30. President Dissanayake faces numerous challenges restoring Sri Lanka’s economy to its pre-Covid condition. He campaigned on a platform of renegotiating the IMF deal to ease economic difficulties for everyday citizens, but it is not immediately clear how much power he has in negotiations. Additionally, Dissanayake has promised to revamp both the taxation system and state employment, two efforts that could receive pushback from opposing parties.