Gakharia is not merging with Lelo in Georgia
Mediation efforts by the President of Georgia to unite two prominent opposition politicians in a joint political bloc ahead of the October 26 parliamentary elections were unsuccessful after several days of negotiations.
On September 19, Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the For Georgia party and former Prime Minister, announced that no agreement had been reached at this stage with Mamuka Khazaradze’s Lelo party and the Strong Georgia coalition it is part of.
These two politicians are well known in Georgia for their long-standing rivalry. However, both have expressed positive expectations about cooperation in the next parliamentary session.
Many experts in Georgia believe that an alliance between these two forces could significantly strengthen the opposition.
One of the leaders of the Lelo party, Saba Buadze, told journalists that there might be some misunderstanding, as the “Strong Georgia” coalition is ready to reach an agreement with former Prime Minister Gakharia’s party, and his party’s statement came as a surprise.
“There were no fundamental objections within our coalition. There were questions about this important and sensitive process, but having questions among coalition partners is a perfectly expected and natural occurrence,” said Saba Buadze.
The For Georgia party’s statement reads:
“Our political team has always prioritized the national interests of the state and our citizens over any party or personal interests.
This was the case in the past when we were in power, it is true today as we are in the opposition, and it will remain so in the future. Therefore, we set aside our party’s interests. However, the other side requested more time to reach an internal agreement within their coalition. Unfortunately, it appears the other side was unable to achieve internal consensus.
The time to make concrete decisions before the elections is already limited, and at this stage, an agreement has not been reached.
The discussions between us and the Lelo party give us positive expectations for cooperation in the next parliamentary term.
Our political goal is to replace Georgian Dream without the return of the National Movement, ensure peace in the country, and end polarization,” the statement reads.
On September 16, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili invited Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the Strong Georgia coalition, and Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the Gakharia – For Georgia party, to her Orbeliani Palace residence on September 17 for merger talks.
At a briefing, the president stated her readiness to facilitate the negotiation process as a neutral party.
On September 17, the opposition leaders first met without the president and then with her. After the meeting, Giorgi Gakharia reported that Mamuka Khazaradze “requested one more day to align positions.”
On September 18, Khazaradze and Gakharia met again at the president’s residence. Following the meeting, Gakharia announced that the negotiations would conclude the next day. Khazaradze said that while “the process was not easy, the parties are fundamentally close.”