TBILISI, August 18 – Two Georgian opposition parties, Lelo and For Georgia, have named Irakli Kupradze as their joint candidate for Tbilisi mayor in the October 4 local elections.
Giorgi Sharashidze was presented as candidate for chairman of the City Council, while Aleko Elisashvili and Tata Khvedeliani were put forward as deputy mayoral candidates.
The move comes against the backdrop of a fractured opposition landscape with most opposition parties with sizable voter support boycotting the vote.
Supporters of Lelo and For Georgia were urged to see the contest as a chance to “take back Tbilisi” and bring new voices into city politics.
“This is not an ordinary election, this is one of the most important stages of a very important struggle,” said Lelo leader Tazo Datunashvili at the rally where Kupradze was presented. Gakharia’s ally Ana Buchukuri framed the race as a fight against “the system that replaced democracy with autocracy.”
The boycotting camp has criticized Lelo and For Georgia for playing along with what they see as a sham process. But the two non-boycotting parties insist participation is necessary to give voters a choice and to challenge Georgian Dream’s grip on power.
Both the boycotting and participating camps agree that last year’s parliamentary election was fraudulent and that the current government lacks legitimacy, calling for a re-run of the 2024 vote.
