Lelo’s Gegelia: We were told America is disappointed with boycott policy

“I will tell you precisely what preference, what wish, the State Department holds; this was the most clearly articulated point. We were told that America is disappointed with the boycott policy,” said Lelo party member Grigol Gegelia, speaking about his meeting with the American delegation.

“They can see that the political parties which are the most pro-American, the most principled, the most forward-thinking, the most capable of offering solutions, parties that know perfectly well how to govern the country and how to address social problems, are nonetheless absent from political institutions. America believes this poses a direct threat to political stability,” Gegelia noted.

According to Gegelia, it was made unambiguously clear at the meeting that the United States does not support boycotts.

“It was stated quite plainly that the U.S. does not support boycotts, does not support sitting out elections, does not support abandoning any form of political struggle. Rather, it supports the full engagement of every political force in the political process, participating as completely as possible, including in the life of political institutions, representing the interests of the nation, and fighting with every available lever.

We do not approach foreign meetings looking for instructions: ‘do this, do that.’ Not at all. Our partners are simply watching the process; they are engaged in it, they have a very well-informed and considered view of how things ought to move forward, and they want the right forces to do the right things. As friends, they are telling us that we must use every format available to fight and be represented in as many political institutions as possible,” Gegelia told TV Pirveli.

Gegelia added that he had explained to the American delegation the circumstances that gave rise to the boycott in the first place, though their view remains that no one should abandon the struggle.

“I personally explained to them the environment in which Georgia found itself, and still finds itself, indeed, in which it finds itself in an ever-worsening condition. They understand very well that the unbearable situation created by the Georgian Dream regime is wholly incompatible with any democratic process, with any elections. Yet at the same time, they understand equally well that no one should walk away from the fight, because without fighting, you cannot defeat a regime of this kind,” Gegelia said.