Strong Georgia-Lelo: Slogan ‘We start on 4th and end on 4th’ should be considered as venture of boycott leaders and their supporters

Refusing to participate in the October 4, 2025 local self-government elections was a major political mistake, the party Strong Georgia-Lelo stated in a Facebook post.

According to the party, its electoral performance doubled compared to the 2021 local elections.

“The constant calls and agitation from certain parties and individual politicians to boycott the elections and refrain from casting protest votes directly strengthened Georgian Dream in city councils and mayoral offices across the country. As a result, the capital ended up with a mayor elected by just 20% of Tbilisi residents,” the statement reads.

The party emphasized that its strategic line—combining peaceful protest with election participation—proved to be the correct political positioning.

“Despite fraud, we received support from nearly 100,000 voters in the October 4 local elections, for which we are deeply grateful. The slogan ‘We start on the 4th and end on the 4th’ should be considered as a venture of boycott leaders and their supporters, inflicting serious damage on peaceful protests. Nevertheless, the protests continued, and Strong Georgia-Lelo has always stood by them,” the party said.

The statement also expressed regret that the party could not fully convince the public of the negative consequences of the boycott, which it attributes to “the electoral nihilism encouraged by Ivanishvili and irresponsible politicians.”

Strong Georgia-Lelo reaffirmed its commitment to fighting against what it calls the “Russian regime” and announced new steps.

“We are actively working with our voters and elected deputies in the regions and the capital. We remain in headquarters mode to consolidate our forces and confront both political poles—Georgian Dream and the National Movement. Ivanishvili’s regime thrives on bipolarity. The 2024 parliamentary elections clearly showed that beyond this so-called bipolar system, there is a genuine political alternative representing the will of 80% of Georgia’s pro-European citizens. That is why Strong Georgia-Lelo has become the target of both sides,” Strong Georgia-Lelo concluded.