“Elene Khoshtaria’s (Droa party leader) plan was to boycott phoney, so-called local elections and hold joint protest campaign for the regime’s dismantling with the aim of new parliamentary elections and release of political prisoners,” wrote Tamar Chergoleishvili, leader of the Federalists party on Facebook.

According to Chergoleishvili, Elene Khoshtaria’s decision to launch a hunger strike was “unexpected.”

Tamar Chergoleishvili said she was against hunger strike and further added that she had not been “friends” with Elene Khoshtarua but cooperated intensively with her in the former president’s format for the last several months.

“She has had her plan outlined in PowerPoint and like Jehova’s Witness, she walked door to door proposing it to platforms, parties, and civil groups. This plan was to boycott phoney, so-called local elections and conduct a joint protest campaign for the regime’s dismantling with the aim of holding new parliamentary elections and releasing political prisoners. Who approved or disapproved of the plan is a different issue. However, she did not intend to launch a hunger strike. Her decision was unexpected,” she said.

On June 27, Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the Droa party, announced the start of a hunger strike on Rustaveli Avenue, declaring her readiness to “sacrifice herself to the regime.”