Republicans Consider Running Independently in Polls
The Republican Party, part of the nine-party opposition coalition, is considering running independently in the upcoming parliamentary elections, but no final decision has been made, MP Davit Zurabishvili of the Republican Party told Civil.Ge on February 28.
“We are thinking whether to participate in the elections independently or on the joint ticket [with the nine-party coalition],” he said. “But the final decision has not been made yet.”
Zurabishvili refused to elaborate on the thinking within the party on the issue. Tina Khidasheli, one of the leaders of the Republic Party, refused outright to even comment when asked for her views by Civil.Ge.
Nine-party coalition had initially said it would run on a joint ticket in the parliamentary elections.
The Republican Party’s reconsideration reflects dissension within the coalition. The decision to call off planned protest rallies and a hunger strike on February 22 brought this to the fore, with many parties only agreeing reluctantly. Drafting the bloc’s joint proportional list of MP candidates has also revealed signs of infighting, the Georgian media speculated recently.
