The Georgian opposition coalition Lelo — Strong Georgia and the opposition party For Georgia have signed a deal not to compete against each other in local elections scheduled for October. The agreement came amidst criticism from other opposition groups which intend to boycott the vote.
According to the document signed on Monday, the parties will agree on supporting neutral candidates from civil society in mayoral races and for majoritarian council seats. If finding such candidates proves impossible, they will pool their resources and present joint party candidates to the electorate.
‘This cooperation is precisely the key demand our citizens have […] This document reflects your call — that we will fight on all fronts in a coordinated manner, without competition and by eliminating rivalry [between the opposition parties]’, said Irakli Kupradze, Secretary General of Lelo, after signing the memorandum.
For Georgia’s Berdia Sichinava emphasised that in a context where ‘the ruling party has stepped outside the constitutional framework of governing the state, pragmatic cooperation and mutual coordination become especially important’.
‘This, of course, does not mean that we are normalising any process in any way’, Sichinava added.
Discussions among opposition parties regarding participation in the municipal elections have been ongoing for months. On 1 July, eight opposition parties — including parties belonging to the two largest opposition coalitions — officially confirmed that they would not take part in the elections.
For supporters of a boycott, taking part in the elections would undermine the policy of refusing to recognise Georgian Dream’s legitimacy following the disputed 2024 parliamentary elections, which were marred by major violations. As part of that policy of non-recognition, all major opposition parties, including Lelo, have refused to take up their seats in parliament.
Parties in favour of participating in the elections have argued that opposition involvement in the process will strengthen the anti-government momentum and prevent Georgian Dream from gaining full control over all state institutions.
On 6 June, a proposal was made by President Mikheil Kavelashvili to pardon the arrested opposition leaders if they expressed their desire to participate in the local elections. His statement referred to politicians who, in recent weeks, had been sentenced to months-long imprisonment for refusing to appear before a Georgian Dream–led parliamentary commission.
The opposition, including Lelo, dismissed Kavelashvili’s offer. Two of the party’s leaders are among those jailed.
According to a survey conducted by a research organisation Social Studies and Analysis (ISSA) in June, only 20% of pro-Western opposition voters support the unconditional participation of opposition parties in the 2025 local elections. Of voters in the same category, 43% said the opposition should boycott the elections, while 26% said opposition parties should participate in the local vote only if early parliamentary elections are held beforehand or simultaneously.
In contrast, an absolute majority of supporters of Georgian Dream and its satellite party, People’s Power — 70% — support unconditional opposition participation in the municipal elections.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
