For Georgia and Lelo lose members over decision to run in local elections
Georgian opposition party Lelo has lost one of its senior members, Saba Buadze, who left the party in protest against its decision to participate in the upcoming local elections. For Georgia, the only other opposition group to run in the elections, has also lost one of its members, Dimitri Tskitishvili, for the same reason.
Buadze formally left Lelo on Tuesday, having previously stepped down from his posts within the opposition group in July.
When he stepped down from his positions in August, he cited the imprisonment of the party’s leaders, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, saying he would only formally quit Lelo once they were released.
Khazaradze and Japaridze were both sentenced to eight months in prison in addition to being banned from holding office for two years for refusing to appear before a parliamentary commission created to investigate the opposition with the ultimate goal of banning most pro-Western opposition groups in the country.
Both Lelo leaders were pardoned by President Mikheil Kavelashvili on 5 September, who cited their participation in the upcoming local elections.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
Buadze announced his departure on Facebook, thanking Japaridze and Khazaradze, and vowing to stay in politics and to ‘continue to look for partners in order to create an alternative that will replace the hysteria prevailing in Georgian politics with common sense’.
For Georgia’s Tskitishvili announced his departure from the party on the same day, citing ‘not only the difference of opinion’ on its participation in the elections, but also ‘fundamental difference on the election issue’.
‘The 4th October election is not and will not be a tactical, phased issue for me, even though I am generally a supporter of institutional democratic struggle’, he wrote, adding that he believed that participation in the elections ‘would only make sense if political forces are coordinated, with even the slightest chance of defeating the regime in an unfair political battle’.
‘I want to believe that one way will lead to results, but we all need to understand that on 5th October there may be a different reality and we need to be prepared for it!’
Georgia’s local elections are scheduled to take place on 4 October amidst a widespread opposition boycott, with most groups, sans Lelo — Strong Georgia and For Georgia, viewing participation as legitimising the Georgian Dream government, which the opposition has refused to recognise since the disputed 2024 parliamentary elections, which were marred by major violations.
Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
