“Yesterday, the National Movement and other pro-Western parties in Georgia jointly declared that they will not participate in the so-called local elections. I want to respond to that statement and clarify our position. We want real elections—not a staged special operation aimed at legitimizing a traitorous regime,” Gia Baramidze, political secretary of the United National Movement, stated.

Baramidze emphasized that the opposition’s demand for new parliamentary elections is legitimate, but participating in a sham election would betray the ongoing protest movement.

“Just because the regime labels something an ‘election’ does not make it legitimate. Taking part in such a process would mean betraying the will of the patriotic citizens who, for more than seven months, have been protesting the fraudulent 2024 elections, the regime’s betrayal of national interests, violations of the Constitution, and the refusal to pursue NATO and EU membership.

We must draw a clear line between legitimate elections and manipulative operations. We support elections—but we will not help provide even a shred of legitimacy to the traitorous regime,” he said.