One of the leaders of Georgia’s opposition Coalition for Change, Zurab Japaridze, on Monday warned that participating in the upcoming local elections in October could “inadvertently legitimize” the current Georgian Dream government.
In a social media post, Japaridze outlined the potential consequences of proceeding with elections without prior reforms and the release of “political prisoners” detained during pro-European protests spanked by the government’s decision last year to halt EU integration until 2028.
Japaridze highlighted that unless new parliamentary elections were held under a revised administration with “fair adjudication of electoral disputes”, the opposition’s participation in local elections would serve to validate a “series of undemocratic actions” by the ruling authorities.
He further listed several concerns, including the “reinforcement of election results determined by the Central Election Commission (CEC), the legitimization of alleged torture of protesters in early December, and the continued incarceration of political prisoners.”
He also expressed fears that alleged restrictions on media, political activity, and civil society would gain further legitimacy, while Georgia’s foreign political isolation would begin to dissipate in favor of the current government.
Addressing the argument that European pressure might force the opposition to take part in elections, Japaridze dismissed such claims as “outdated thinking.” He cited a statement from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, which suggested that the elections should be postponed. He argued that Georgia’s political trajectory should be determined internally rather than by external influences.
Japaridze further criticized the notion that the opposition could still secure victories in certain localities, claiming that the regime would “manipulate electoral results regardless of voter turnout.”
He also likened the electoral environment to a rigged sports match, stating that while the opposition was attempting to play football, the ruling authorities were playing rugby with their own referees. He also warned against believing that winning positions in city assemblies could help dismantle the regime, citing the aftermath of the 2020 parliamentary elections, which, he claimed, only served to sustain the government’s rule.
Regarding potential victories in Tbilisi’s municipal elections, Japaridze argued that the ruling authorities would not allow the opposition to gain control of key positions. He pointed to the example of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, implying that electoral system changes could be implemented to safeguard the ruling party’s dominance.
