Opposition Group Seeks to Withdraw from Parliament
The opposition group Strong Georgia is asking the Central Election Commission (CEC) to revoke its party lists. This decision was made by Mamuka Khazaradze, a leader of the coalition, at a briefing on November 26.
Strong Georgia had earlier decided not to take part in the October 26 elections, which they considered rigged. However, they wanted to wait until the necessary legal conditions were met before fulfilling their promise. Now that Parliament has recognized all 150 MPs at its first session, Strong Georgia is formally asking the CEC to withdraw its lists.
This makes them the second opposition group to officially ask for this action. The Coalition for Change sent a similar request to the CEC yesterday. Only two other groups, Unity-UNM and For Georgia, have not yet formally asked the CEC to withdraw their lists.
Strong Georgia is proposing that political parties and civil society organizations form an alternative representative body. This group would work towards better representation, coordination, and organization of the opposition. They also aim to create a united front to engage with international partners and ensure that the October 26 elections are not recognized internationally.
Levan Tsutskiridze, another leader of Strong Georgia, listed three main goals for this alternative body: to represent the opposition better, to coordinate efforts against the current Parliament, and to develop political programs necessary for Georgia’s integration into the EU. Negotiations with potential partners have already begun.
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