At the special briefing on September 16, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced the impending coalition of two opposition forces: Lelo’s Strong Georgia and ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia. The President invited both forces to the Orbeliani Presidential Palace on September 17 to officially seal the coalition.
She said the “positive, third center” must be created for opposition-leaning, undecided voters to make the choice easier and clearer for them. She named Strong Georgia, which is the coalition of Lelo, Ana Dolidze’s For People and Citizens political parties and the Freedom Square movement on the one hand, and ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party on the other. Zurabishvili said she had consulted with all the forces and noted that she saw these two as having the power “to create an impetus in society for full mobilization.”
She said that she welcomes the readiness of these two powers, emphasizing that she knows they are ready and willing to unite.
She invited both parties to the Orbeliani Palace on September 17 to “immediately carry out the final step of the negotiations.”
Calling on them to unite, Zurabishvili concluded: “I am sure that this is exactly what society expects from you.”