Irakli Pavlenishvili, Deputy Secretary General of the United National Movement (UNM), says the party will not participate in what he calls a “special operation” disguised as local elections. According to him, the political process in Georgia has lost all legitimacy.

“We’ve said it before – we will not take part in the so-called elections. If this were a real election, every politician would gladly participate. But elections are no longer held in this country. What we are witnessing is a special operation, and we refuse to be part of it,” Pavlenishvili stated.

Pavlenishvili emphasized that the UNM’s stance is “firm and unchanging.”

“Our position is clear. It’s not us who should reconsider – it’s the political actors who have decided to participate. They saw it clearly during the July 18 protest and beyond: what the protest electorate demands is action, not submission,” he added.

Remarking on the opposition parties Lelo and Gakharia for Georgia, Pavlenishvili believes they are following the ruling team’s narratives.

“A large part of Lelo and Gakharia Georgia parties are ‘Kotsis’ (Georgian Dream supporters), and that is why they may still be following ‘Kotsi’ narratives,” he added.