Georgian elections: opposition parties agree not to form coalition government with ruling party
Georgian elections: opposition parties agree not to form coalition government with ruling party
The day before the elections, ten opposition parties have signed an agreement stating that none of the signatories would form a coalition government with the Georgian Dream following the elections.
Parliamentary elections will be held in Georgia on October 31 – the country will elect the 10th convocation of the country’s main legislative body. Georgia is a parliamentary republic, so whoever wins this election will govern the country for the next four years.
The agreement was signed at the office of the Labor Party today.
Signatories:
- Strategy Agmashenebeli
- Girchi
- European Georgia
- European Democrats
- Victorious Georgia
- United Georgia
- Republican Party
- United National Movement
- Movement for the People
- Labor Party
The memorandum says that the political opposition is confident that by the will of the Georgian people it will have a convincing victory in the parliamentary elections on October 31 and will form a government endowed with the confidence of the Georgian people.
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Party leaders say this is an unprecedented agreement, whereby opposition politicians also agree that the opposition must unite against the existing government.
“I believe that the beginning of change means unity and standing together. I think that all of us are tired of constant disagreement. We want to start accomplishing deeds in the country. That is why I am signing this document,” said Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Strategy Agmashenebeli party.
According to Tina Bokuchava, a member of the United National Movement, no party will serve as “a lifebuoy for [Bidzina Ivanishvili].”
“We agree that this is completely unacceptable, and we have united in the broadest opposition consensus ever,” said Tina Bokuchava.
“This document is important because it demonstrates the will of the pro-Western political parties that under no circumstances will anyone cooperate with Ivanishvili, his Georgian Dream, and the pro-Russian force,” said Sergi Kapanadze, one of the leaders of the European Georgia.
The memorandum states:
“We, the undersigned, understand that the eight-year oligarchic rule of Bidzina Ivanishvili:
- Significantly weakened the democratic institutions of Georgia by the sole and uncontrolled concentration of power, the politicization of state institutions and the complete violation of the mechanisms of democratic accountability; including politicizing the court and using it as a tool for political persecution;
- Threw a shadow on the international reputation of Georgia and hindered the historic European choice of the Georgian people, including in the process of joining the Euro-Atlantic structures;
- Damaged Georgia’s strategic economic prospects, including halting construction of the deep-water port of Anaklia and artificially excluding Western investors from the project;
- Under the guise of a “policy of normalization” weakened the negotiating position of Georgia with the Russian Federation on de-occupation issues by compromising Georgia’s national interests;
We declare that as a result of the parliamentary elections on October 31, 2020, we will not create a coalition government under any circumstances with the Georgian Dream party of Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The opposition is convinced that the will of the Georgian people will have a convincing victory in the parliamentary elections on October 31 and form a government endowed with the confidence of the Georgian people for the good of the country.”
