Lelo, European Georgia opposition refuse to join UNM rally tomorrow

Lelo and the European Georgia opposition parties have refused to join a ‘large rally’ by the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party in Tbilisi tomorrow, where demonstrators will demand the release of the country’s third president Mikheil Saakashvili. 

 

Saakashvili, who returned to Georgia after eight years in political exile ahead of Georgia’s October 2 municipal elections, was detained in Tbilisi on October 1. 

 

Lelo chairman Mamuka Khazaradze says that the UNM is not aware what will be the continuation of the rally and that his party has no plans to participate in it ‘because both organising a rally and participating in it are a responsibility and the parties involved must know what will be the next.’

 

Head of European Georgia Giga Bokeria claims that the rally is for the release of a concrete political leader, ‘has a wrong goal,’ and that his party will not take responsibility for it, particularly ahead of municipal election run-offs on October 30. 

 

Saakashvili left Georgia in 2013, shortly after the Georgian Dream coalition defeated his United National Movement in the 2012 parliamentary race. Saakashvili claims he returned to mobilise the opposition supporters to ‘save the country from the regime of the Georgian Dream ruling party.’ He believed that the UNM would have defeated the ruling party in the municipal race which would have led to snap parliamentary elections and the change in authorities. Saakashvili was convicted for abuse of authority back in 2018 and sentenced to six years in prison in absentia He has also been charged with four other cases related to illegal takeover of property, embezzlement, illegal rally dispersal and illegally crossing the border, which are ongoing.

 

The ex-president has been on hunger strike since his detention and wishes to be  released before the second round of elections.