TBILISI, DFWatch–Giorgi Vashadze, a former UNM-era official and current opposition figure who is in pre-trial detention, has issued a renewed appeal for unity among Georgia’s pro-Western political parties and activist groups.
Writing from prison, Vashadze proposed forming a joint “unified resistance center” ahead of the country’s upcoming local elections on October 4.
His message was similar to a call days earlier by Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, another jailed opposition figure. Both are affiliated with the coalition known as Platform for Change, which has around ten percent support, according to a recent poll.
Vashadze argues that no single opposition group can defeat what he calls the entrenched system surrounding billionaire and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who remains a central figure in Georgian politics despite having no formal role in government. He insists that only a shared platform and joint electoral campaign can present voters with a credible alternative.
The former UNM official known for his e-governance reform which introduced the popular one-stop public service centers known as “houses of justice,” outlined an eight-point roadmap for cooperation and urged parties to unite not just in rhetoric but through “a common brand and a single front.”
Georgia’s opposition camp remains fragmented, with one section calling for boycott of the local elections, but some parties planning to participate. Efforts to consolidate have repeatedly stalled over strategic disagreements.
