Editor’s note: This article has been updated to indicate that one of the candidates withdrew altogether without expressing support for any other party.
In Kvemo Kartli region’s Marneuli municipality, three local majoritarian candidates from the opposition group Lelo — Strong Georgia withdrew their candidacies. Earlier, Lelo’s candidate for Bolnisi mayor had also stepped down, which Lelo linked to possible pressure.
According to reports emerging on Thursday, Kara Orujov of the village of Kizilajlo, Gulmamed Qasimov of Pirveli Kesalo, and Humbat Jalilov of Kulari — had withdrawn.
The news likely first appeared on the Facebook page of local outlet Region News, known for uncritical coverage of local and central authorities.
For Jalilov and Orujov, the agency used identical wording, quoting them as saying the decision was made ‘voluntarily, without any pressure’.
According to the agency, Kasimov and Orujov withdrew their candidacies in favor of the ruling Georgian Dream party, citing internal disagreements as the reason. As for Jalilov, he told another local outlet, 24News, that he does not intend to support any party in this year’s municipal elections and ruled out pressure, sayind intead that ‘certain injustices were committed against his team’ within Lelo.
The reports were later responded by Lelo’s secretary-general and joint Tbilisi mayoral candidate for Lelo and For Georgia, Irakli Kupradze, who linked the withdrawals to intimidation.
‘They [the ruling party] made three majoritarian candidates say that there was no pressure and they withdrew from the race [by themselves]’, he said, adding that the ruling party was fearful of the opposition’s ‘unity’ and ‘struggle’ in the elections.
After the withdrawal of the candidacies, Lelo’s co-founder Badri Japaridze arrived in Marneuli, again raising allegations of government pressure.
‘The fact that Georgian Dream’s attempts at violence, intimidation, and threats have intensified so much only indicates that change in this country is inevitable’, he said.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) press office later told local outlet Radio Marneuli that the candidates’ names and electoral numbers will still remain on the ballot papers despite their withdrawal, since the deadline for candidate registration expired on 18 September.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
Also on Thursday, unknown individuals threw eggs at a Lelo campaign event in Tbilisi’s Nadzaladevi district. In response, Kupradze, who was speaking at the event, called it ‘the face of Georgian Dream’.
Earlier on Monday, Lelo’s candidate for Bolnisi mayor in the Kvemo Kartli region, Asef Chiragov, also withdrew. Lelo claimed he was first offered money to step aside and then likely pressured.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze dismissed this, saying that Lelo was ‘falling apart’ and trying to blame others.
According to the 2014 census, Marneuli municipality had a population of around 104,000, and Bolnisi about 54,000. In the 2021 local elections, the ruling party won over 60% of the vote in both.
Both municipalities have an ethnic Azerbaijani majority.
‘We must understand that in regions, especially those with significant ethnic minority populations, the pressure, coercion, and State Security Service blackmail are much heavier’, Kupradze said while commenting on Chiragov’s withdrawal.
Georgia’s municipal elections
Georgia’s municipal elections are scheduled to take place on 4 October amidst a widespread opposition boycott. Two major opposition groups, as well as some smaller parties, view participation as legitimising the Georgian Dream government, which the opposition has refused to recognise since the disputed 2024 parliamentary elections.
Only two major opposition parties — Lelo and For Georgia — have announced their participation, saying that this will strengthen the anti-government momentum and prevent Georgian Dream from gaining full control over all state institutions.
Ahead of the elections, they formed an alliance and presented joint candidates. However, neither party has a mayoral candidate in 29 out of 64 municipalities — including in Bolnisi following Chiragov’s withdrawal. Explaining the situation to local media, Giorgi Sioridze, a For Georgia member, said that partner parties focused on larger municipalities and cities where the opposition has a better chance.
Alongside questions stemming from the disputed 2024 elections, the integrity of the 4 October vote is clouded by obstacles to election monitoring.
Against the backdrop of legislative pressure on civil society, one of Georgia’s largest election watchdogs, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), has already announced that it will not field an observation mission this year.
In addition, breaking with tradition, the OSCE/ODIHR will also not observe the local vote, citing Georgian Dream’s last-minute invitation as making ‘meaningful observation impossible’.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
