Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the opposition Strong Georgia coalition, responded to Giorgi Gakharia, the leader of the For Georgia party, over the collapse of their election negotiations. Khazaradze argued that Gakharia’s three conditions for an alliance – a neutral platform, parity-based representation, and a commitment not to form coalitions with the ruling Georgian Dream or the opposition United National Movement – are technically and legally unfeasible.
During a press briefing on Friday, Khazaradze expressed disappointment with how the discussions unraveled, blaming Gakharia’s sudden shift in stance. He pointed out that just days earlier, both parties had reached a tentative agreement on a nine-point action plan that aimed to present a strong alternative to the current Georgian Dream government.
“We had a productive one-on-one meeting, exchanged ideas, and developed a plan of action. We agreed on a nine-point agenda and were ready to finalize the coalition list and introduce it to the public. However, the negotiations fell apart after a statement made by Levan Tsutskiridze, a member of our coalition,” Khazaradze said, noting that Gakharia used the interview as a pretext to back out of the talks.
Khazaradze stressed that in a coalition, partners must have the freedom to express their opinions. “If we want to change the government, we must get used to the idea that coalition partners are entitled to voice their views,” he added.
Earlier on Friday Gakharia declared the negotiations over, citing the new conditions that Khazaradze’s team allegedly failed to meet. Khazaradze countered by arguing that Gakharia’s new demands, which were introduced late in the process, were impossible to implement within the legal and technical constraints, given the looming election deadline.
“This means that the parties must withdraw from the campaign, as it’s impossible to organize lists, numbers, or technical preparations within 30 days. Yesterday, we left the president’s palace thinking we were on track to finalize everything, but today we’re told otherwise,” Khazaradze lamented.
Gakharia had initially proposed that his party members run on the Lelo party list, insisting on a “neutral platform” for the coalition’s operations. However, the exact meaning of this platform remained unclear, especially after the Central Election Commission registration deadline passed.
