The Lelo – Strong Georgia coalition plans to participate in the local government elections to be held on October 4 this year. This position runs counter to the intention of most opposition political groups to boycott the vote.

“We, the pro-European opposition parties, have one goal – to defeat the regime. But, as it turned out, we have chosen different strategies,” commented the party’s decision on Irakli Kupradze, the general secretary of Lelo.

After this statement, one of its leaders, Saba Buadze, resigned from the post of head of the Tbilisi organization of Lelo and from his place on the party’s political council.

“I consider it unthinkable to become an accomplice to this mistaken step in any way,” Buadze explained his resignation.

Following him, Anna Natsvlishvili left the party’s political council, stating that she could not share the decision to participate in the upcoming elections in the fall. At the same time, she emphasized that she categorically disagrees with the opinion that anyone from the party "sold out".

Earlier, a number of opposition parties rejected President Mikheil Kavelashvili's proposal to pardon convicted politicians who would file a petition for pardon and confirm their intention to participate in the upcoming municipal elections. In particular, the United National Movement, Federalists, Freedom Square, European Georgia, Strategy Agmashenebeli, Droa, Akhali and Girchi - More Freedom announced a boycott of the vote. According to the opposition, participation in the elections would mean recognizing the legitimacy of the Georgian Dream government.