TBILISI, DFWatch–President Mikheil Kavelashvili from Georgian Dream (GD) offers to pardons jailed opposition leaders, under the condition that they agree to participate in the upcoming local elections.
He framed the offer as a constitutional initiative aimed at supporting democratic participation. But the offer sparked mixed reactions, especially among opposition groups who see the move more as a pressure tactic than an attempt to improve the election process.
Kavelashvili, a former MP who was appointed president by a GD dominated electoral college last December, said the proposal is intended to give political parties a chance to prepare for the municipal elections without restrictions. He described the jailed leaders as individuals who are “rightfully behind bars,” but suggested that offering them a way to participate in the election could serve the broader goal of having competitive elections.
The offer comes at a crucial moment, when the Georgian Dream (GD) government continues to face international pressure over its handling of elections, the rule of law, and the treatment of opposition figures.
Since last year’s parliamentary election, the entire opposition agreed to not take up the seats they earned in the vote, but opposition parties have not been able to agree on a joint strategy ahead of this year’s local elections, with some boycotting it while others planning to participate.
Two parties or blocs that had a relatively strong showing in the 2024 election – Lelo and its associates with 9 % and For Georgia with 8% – have decided to take part this year, but are facing unprecedented hurdles, with For Georgia leader Giorgi Gakharia now under criminal investigation for acts as a minister of internal affairs in the GD government.
Gakharia recently appeared in a TV interview from Brussels, and declined to answer when he will return home, while the two Lelo leaders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze are both in jail for refusing to testify for a parliamentary committee deemed politicized by opposition groups.
The president made a similar clemency offer earlier this year and it was rejected as domination tactics. The former governing party UNM is urging a full boycott of the October 4 local elections this year, along with Girchi other groups that also showed voter appeal in 2024, leading to a divided opposition this time with some participating and others boycotting.
In a separate TV interview, Kavelashvili also commented on Georgia’s visa-free travel agreement with the European Union, criticizing what he described as external pressure. The president insisted that Georgians will not trade away their country for material benefits or formal privileges.
