“It is a betrayal of principles when Lelo assured voters for months that they would abstain from participating in the elections, only to suddenly announce that they will run. Who was pressuring them? Why did they make such false statements?” questioned Levan Machavariani, a member of the Georgian Dream party.

He believes that Lelo has likely received instructions and is attempting to communicate their decision to voters through misleading rhetoric.

Machavariani said that currently, only two radical parties remain from the United National Movement, both of which insist they will not participate in the elections.

“These two radical parties feel that external powers are betting more on Lelo and Gakharia because the United National Movement’s brand has become so discredited that betting on them seems impossible. Many voters are unaware that Lelo and Gakharia are receiving directives from the same external backers. The situation remains uncertain, as there is still time to influence these decisions. If these external forces cannot be convinced that, due to the United National Movement’s abstention, votes will not be diverted to Lelo and Gakharia (Gakharia’s “For Georgia” party), they will instruct these parties to participate in the elections. This is to ensure that the votes of the ‘Mishists’—Saakashvili’s supporters—and sectarians are not wasted,” Machavariani asserted.