Eight Opposition Parties Refuse to Participate in Municipal Elections
Eight pro-Western opposition parties — Freedom Square, European Georgia, United National Movement, Strategy Builder, Girchi — More Freedom, Droa, Ahali and Federalists — have announced that they will not participate in the upcoming municipal elections.
In a joint statement delivered on June 23 on Rustaveli Avenue, Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the Droa party, addressed the public:
“We refuse to participate in the so-called municipal elections because we believe that, under the current circumstances, participation does not serve the interests of our citizens and merely creates a facade of legitimacy for the illegal Russian regime.
We recognise the need for joint action and commit to doing everything possible to accelerate the end of this undemocratic, oligarchic system through principled and uncompromising struggle. We believe that the path to victory lies in complete non-cooperation with the regime. Together with the citizens of Georgia, we continue our national resistance. Until the end!”
In contrast, the party “For Georgia,” led by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, has announced plans to participate in the elections. The “Strong Georgia” coalition also discussed the matter, and statements from its leaders indicate that they will take part in the elections as well.
Former PM Giorgi Gakharia to Testify Remotely Before Investigative Commission
By decision of the “Temporary Investigative Commission of the Parliament of Georgia to Investigate the Activities of the Government in 2003–2012,” former Prime Minister and opposition leader Giorgi Gakharia will testify remotely at a commission session scheduled for July 2.
Gakharia was summoned for a second time on June 23. According to his party, he is currently outside Georgia and unable to attend in person; however, he has expressed his readiness to participate remotely.
On June 14, the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office announced that former Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri had been questioned regarding the actions of then-Minister of Internal Affairs Giorgi Gakharia in the village of Chorchana, located along the occupation line, as part of an investigation into sabotage.
Gakharia has since left the country indefinitely and is unlikely to return to Georgia.
In 2019, Russian occupation forces began illegal so-called “borderization” activities in the forest area near Chorchana. In response, under Gakharia’s decision as Minister of Internal Affairs, a Georgian checkpoint was established in the forest.
Kobakhidze: Diplomatic Passports Now Restricted, I Entered a EU Country with a Visa
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the European Union’s visa restrictions on Georgian diplomatic passports have officially taken effect, requiring him to obtain a visa to enter one of the member states.
Kobakhidze did not specify which European country required the visa.
On June 10, he travelled to Italy. Over the past month, he also visited Hungary, which has announced that it would not implement the EU’s restrictions.
The European Union suspended the visa-free regime for holders of Georgian diplomatic passports on January 27.
Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze Arrested
On June 23, the leaders of “Lelo – Strong Georgia,” Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, were arrested and handcuffed outside the party’s office.
“The fire will soon fall on the oligarchy, the Russian regime of Bidzina,” Khazaradze declared following his arrest. Japaridze also commented, stating, “Georgia will win.”
Supporters, politicians, and activists gathered near the “Lelo” office in solidarity. The 5th President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, also arrived at the scene to express her support for Khazaradze and Japaridze.
On the same day, Tbilisi City Court Judge Zviad Sharadze sentenced both leaders to eight months in prison and barred them from holding public office for two years.
The prosecution accused Khazaradze and Japaridze of failing to comply with a summons from the temporary investigative commission established by the Parliament. The commission subsequently referred the case to the prosecutor’s office.