Georgian President urges Strong Georgia coalition, For Georgia party to form election alliance

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Monday called on the Lelo opposition party-led Strong Georgia coalition and former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party to unite ahead of the October 26 general elections.

Zourabichvili invited the two factions for discussions at her Tbilisi office on Tuesday, and told the press the “final stage of negotiations should take place immediately”, while highlighting the “need to create a viable third centre" for voters as an alternative to the Georgian Dream ruling party and the United National Movement opposition.

She said the formation of a new bloc could “appeal to undecided voters and foster full societal mobilisation” in the elections. 

As a “neutral party”, the President expressed her willingness to facilitate the unification, claiming the "crucial step" would provide voters with "more clarity, more certainty, and a greater sense of power at this pivotal moment for the country”. 

Zourabichvili also praised Mamuka Khazaradze, the co-founder of the Lelo party, for his willingness to cooperate, and affirmed that Gakharia also shared "similar sentiments, noting the move could “demonstrate the parties' commitment to prioritising Georgia’s future, particularly its European trajectory”.

In response, Khazaradze said on social media the Strong Georgia coalition - which currently includes Lelo, the For People party, the Freedom Square movement, and Aleko Elisashvili from the Citizens party - was “ready to do everything possible to end the rule of GD, which serves Russia, and replace it with a government that serves Georgia and leads us toward a European future”. 

 He also expressed appreciation for the President's “efforts to promote unity” and said he was prepared to meet with Gakharia privately before the scheduled meeting at the Presidential Palace to explore whether they shared a common vision for collaboration.

Beka Liluashvili, a member of the For Georgia party, confirmed the party’s readiness to meet with Strong Georgia representatives in the talks and said his party had “always respected the President” and would consider her appeal.

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, expressed scepticism, saying he “felt sorry” for the parties involved. He claimed “external forces”, and not the President or the parties, were driving the decision. 

Mdinaradze further claimed “previous disagreements and insults” between the leaders of the opposition groups could result in a decrease in voter support for the proposed coalition instead of attracting new voters.