Opposition leader Khoshtaria urges Lelo party to join boycott of local elections

Elene Khoshtaria, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, has publicly urged the opposition party Lelo not to participate in Georgia’s upcoming October 4 elections, calling the date a “national day of election rejection,” not a legitimate election day.

“I love Lelo and the people in it, and I want them to be on the right side of history and not destroy themselves,” Khoshtaria said. She emphasized that the coalition enjoys strong international support, but that backing depends on opposition unity and concrete action on the ground.

She argued that October 4 should not be seen as a day for elections held by the ruling Georgian Dream party and its founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, but as a day of national protest and democratic resistance.

“There are no elections to disrupt—they simply don’t exist,” Khoshtaria stated, insisting that the opposition and civil society must unite to show the world that the elections lack legitimacy.

She called on Lelo to consider the risks of taking part in the elections, claiming that the majority of the Georgian public and political spectrum have already decided to reject the vote.

“We must also present a political alternative—an opposition that does not recognize the regime but can govern and be a reliable partner to the international community,” she added.

Khoshtaria concluded with a message directed at the ruling elite: “This is our united front—across the whole country, hand in hand we will say: ‘Bidzina Ivanishvili, you will not succeed in legitimizing these local elections.’”