Georgian opposition parties announce boycott of 2025 local elections

Eight Georgian opposition parties have issued a joint statement announcing their decision not to participate in the local self-government elections scheduled for October 2025, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

“We are refusing to take part in the so-called local self-government elections, as we believe that under the current circumstances, participating in this process will not serve the interests of our citizens,” the joint statement reads.

Among the parties boycotting the elections is the opposition party founded by former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, the United National Movement. Other political groups joining the boycott include the Federalists, Freedom Square, European Georgia, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Droa, Akhali, and Girchi – More Freedom.

Following the announcement, Droa party leader Elene Khoshtaria ended her hunger strike outside the Georgian parliament building in Tbilisi, which she had been holding since June 28.

it is important to note that the boycott stems from the ongoing political crisis in Georgia, triggered by the disputed October 2024 parliamentary elections, which the ruling Georgian Dream party won with 54% of the vote, securing 89 of 150 seats. The opposition, supported by President Salome Zourabichvili, rejected the results, alleging widespread fraud, including vote-buying, ballot-stuffing, and voter intimidation. 

International observers, such as the OSCE and the International Republican Institute (IRI), described the elections as “fundamentally flawed,” citing serious irregularities that undermined democratic standards. The opposition’s refusal to recognise the results led to a parliamentary boycott, with 49 opposition MPs stripped of their mandates in February 2025 after renouncing them in protest.

By Khagan Isayev