TBILISI, September 25 – With Georgia’s hotly contested October 4 local elections just days away, opposition party Lelo is weighing whether to show up at a major street rally in Tbilisi the same evening.
The move could put the party on a collision course with other opposition groups that have vowed to boycott the vote.
The protest is spearheaded by the United National Movement (UNM), Georgia’s largest opposition force, which has blasted Lelo and former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia’s party for taking part in what it calls a “Russian special operation.” Imprisoned ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili went further, warning on Facebook that Lelo’s presence at the rally would be an attempt to “legalize” the election in the morning and “dismantle” the protest in the evening.
The tense exchanges are taking place against a background of Lelo politician Grigol Gegelia on August 6 being confronted on Rustaveli Avenue during an ongoing protest. Demonstrators shouted “Lelo is a collaborator” before the scene turned physical. Police escorted Gegelia and his colleagues away.
Analyst and professor at Black Sea International University, Nika Chitadze, argues that few in the crowd will be interested in sparking fights with fellow opposition supporters. “Maybe someone will shout something, but I don’t think there will be clashes,” he told Rezonansi.
Political analyst Edisher Gvenetadze agreed, suggesting any scuffles would only be tolerated if useful to those “pulling the strings” from outside. He predicted the protest itself would not be derailed.
Despite warnings, both experts believe Lelo should attend. “The more people there, the stronger the protest,” Chitadze noted, while Gvenetadze added that the party’s moves will only reinforce perceptions that “all are managed by one hand.”
