Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze interpreted the Gakharia-For-Georgia party's decision to end its political boycott as recognition of the legitimacy of parliament and the October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections. According to him, opposition parties "have carried the decrees of their patrons to this point, which is sad for the parties, but very good for the country and Georgian democracy."
"They're being absurd—if they became members of parliament, then parliament is legitimate! What did they become members of?! Everything points to the dire situation within the European bureaucracy and the Deep State—they make one decision after another. The main thing is that they can't change the situation in favor of the opposition," the politician concluded.
However, these conclusions contradict the position expressed by Shalva Kereselidze, a member of the Gakharia – For Georgia political force, after a meeting with Speaker Shalva Papuashvili. The opposition leader stated that his party "doesn't legitimize this parliament," but this doesn't mean we should continue "not doing our job, not working for the country and the people."
"I will be a member of parliament—yes! For some, I will be a member of an illegitimate parliament, for others, a member of a legitimate parliament," Kereselidze concluded, emphasizing that political processes in the country have virtually stopped and his team will actively participate in their resumption, based on the interests of the people and the country.
On October 20, the political party led by former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia decided to retake parliamentary seats. As a reminder, the MPs from this political party were terminated in early summer, and in early September, the procedural issues committee voted to replace them with new candidates.
The leader of the Gakharia for Georgia party is currently in a European country, but the exact location is unknown. The politician previously stated that he does not intend to return to his homeland "in the near future."
According to Georgian media, some members of the public link the former prime minister's departure to the investigation being conducted by the prosecutor's office. The prosecutor's office reports that the investigation is, among other things, into the action [establishing a checkpoint – ed.] taken by former Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia near the occupation line near the village of Chorchana on August 24, 2019.
