Six Georgian opposition parties sign declaration of unity ahead of elections

Six opposition parties in Georgia on Tuesday signed a declaration of unity for the periods before and after the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

United National Movement, Girchi - More Freedom, Akhali, Lelo, Droa and Strategy Agmashenebeli parties agreed to join the declaration in Brussels, citing “concern with recent attacks by the ruling Georgian Dream party under the leadership of its founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, as well as the actions of the Government”, in an apparent reference to developments before and during the adoption of a controversial domestic law on transparency of foreign influence by Georgian Dream.

The parties claimed the Government “obeys the same oligarch [...] ignores the basic values ​​of democracy and deliberately hinders Georgia's aspirations to join the European Union and NATO” in their declaration.

We announce that we will unite before the upcoming elections, and after the elections in the Parliament of Georgia, to achieve the following goals: to free the state from the rule of the oligarchy and the rule of the Georgian Dream party, and to return Georgia to the path of rapid integration into the European Union”, the agreement said.

“To achieve the mentioned goals, we will do everything to unite and convincingly win the upcoming elections. We will do this together with the civil society of Georgia and all the citizens of Georgia who support and protect the European future of [the country]”, the opposition parties said.

They also agreed to step up efforts before the elections to “ensure that no electoral votes are lost”.

The declaration further called on the country’s Western partners to “use all available means to protect the right of Georgian citizens to participate in fair and transparent elections”, alleging the opportunity “may be deliberately restricted by the Georgian Dream Government”.