Lelo’s Irakli Kupradze: Opposition must end the feuding culture whose sole purpose is rubbing other parties

“Georgian Dream is exploiting its aggressive politics and state propaganda to claim that the opposition is consumed by internal squabbling and inherently incapable of coalition governance. We must prove them wrong,” declared Irakli Kupradze, one of the leaders of the Lelo – Strong Georgia coalition.

Kupradze urged opposition forces to redouble their efforts and deploy greater resources, calling on the public to engage more actively in the political process.

“We must put an end to this fantasy that we don’t need political parties. How else do you replace a government? If people dislike existing options, they should form new parties themselves. The opposition must stop mudslinging and attacking one another; it must end this politics of personal feuding whose sole trade is rubbish-talking other parties. For months, I have refused to respond to any of these attacks, yet I see these figures turned into prime-time stars on pro-government networks like Imedi and Rustavi 2 to undermine the broader opposition space.

The regime and Georgian Dream are using state pressure and media propaganda to push the narrative that the opposition is locked in petty bickering and unfit to govern in coalition. We must do the exact opposite. Bidzina Ivanishvili claims the opposition is deeply divided—so we must build bridges, stay in dialogue, and refrain from hurling insults at each other. That is precisely Lelo – Strong Georgia’s approach: we refuse to engage in abuse or toxic attacks. Instead, we are out in the regions. Groundwork in the provinces is tough—Tbilisi is easy, as it is already an opposition stronghold. We are visiting remote villages that politicians have never set foot in, exposing corruption, and reassuring voters on the ground,” Kupradze stated.