Mikheil Kavelashvili, the president of the Georgian Dream government, is offering pardons to imprisoned opposition politicians if they apply for them and "confirm" their desire to participate in the local elections.
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"It is important that all political parties registered under Georgian legislation and expressing a desire to participate in the elections take full part in these elections. It is also important that all political parties are able to conduct a full electoral campaign.
As the public is aware, specific leaders of several political parties are serving sentences in penitentiary facilities in accordance with Georgian law.
Given this circumstance, I offer all relevant convicted politicians to address me with a statement requesting a pardon and to confirm their desire to participate in the elections in the same statement. In case of such an address, I will immediately issue an act regarding the pardon of the respective convicts," stated Mikheil Kavelashvili.
Eight opposition politicians were arrested three months before the local elections for failing to appear before the "investigative commission" created by Georgian Dream in parliament.
The court sentenced Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Badri Japaridze, leaders of the Coalition for Change and Lelo – Strong Georgia, to 8 months in prison and banned them from holding public office for 2 years. Zurab Japaridze, another leader of the Coalition for Change, and Giorgi Vashadze, leader of Strategy Aghmashenebeli, were sentenced to 7 months in prison.
"At no stage do we intend to cooperate with the regime or grant them legitimacy. We do not intend to apply for a so-called pardon, nor do we intend to participate in the so-called local elections," was the response of the Coalition for Change to Kavelashvili's proposal. As the party states, it has been confirmed that the participation of pro-Western forces in the elections is "a way to save the regime and postpone changes, and they [GD] will agree to any deal to achieve this."
Irakli Kupradze, Secretary-General of Lelo, called Mikheil Kavelashvili's statement a "pathetic attempt to trade with the freedom of political leaders" and stated that they would not engage in this trade with the Russian regime.
"With the conviction that this is 100% the position of Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, I declare: there will be no pardon request to the illegitimate president. We will point him in the direction of the Russian ship," Kupradze stated.
In addition to the opposition leaders, former high-ranking officials of the United National Movement government, Givi Targamadze and Irakli Okruashvili, have also been arrested for 8 months.
The local elections are scheduled for October 4. Eight pro-Western opposition parties have refused to participate in the elections: Freedom Square, European Georgia, United National Movement, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Ahali, Girchi - More Freedom, Droa, and Federalists. According to their joint statement, they will do everything to accelerate the "end of the undemocratic, oligarchic system" through a "principled, uncompromising struggle."The parties Gakharia - For Georgia and Lelo – Strong Georgia distance themselves from the election boycott.
