Georgian opposition leader says municipal elections “out of question”

One of the leaders of the opposition party Unity – National Movement, Irakli Pavlenishvili, on Thursday dismissed any possibility of participating in the upcoming local elections this year, citing concerns over the country’s political environment.

“In this situation, there can be no talk of any elections,” Pavlenishvili said, arguing that fundamental democratic conditions are not being met.

He further claimed critical voices in Georgia were being suppressed, while newly adopted laws could be used to dismantle non-governmental organizations, opposition parties, and independent media.

“For any political party to start talking about elections would simply be inadequate,” he stated. “When the rules for staffing the CEC [Central Election Commission] and other directions are appropriate to democratic standards, then it will make sense to participate in the electoral processes.”

The Georgian government has faced mounting criticism from domestic and international actors over allegations of democratic backsliding, particularly regarding electoral reforms and restrictions on civil society amid ongoing protests in the country sparked by the Georgian Dream Government’s move last year to halt the country’s EU integration until 2028.