Opposition Consults on Elections

Consultations are underway between seven opposition parties ? Conservative, New Rights, Republican, Labor, Freedom, Industrialists and People?s Forum ? to discuss their tactics for local self-governance elections scheduled for this autumn.

?We have not yet decided whether to form a block and participate in the elections jointly or not. The fact that consultations are underway is in itself positive. As no date has been announced for the elections yet, we are still refraining from making any concrete agreement; we still have time,? MP Mamuka Katsitadze of the New Rights party told reporters late on August 5.

Reports say that some of the opposition parties, including the Labor Party, Freedom Party, and People?s Forum are calling for election boycotts because of what they say is an unfavorable election code.

Salome Zourabichvili?s Georgia?s Way party is not participating in the ongoing consultations of the opposition parties, as she has already announced that her party will run in elections on its own without teaming up with others. Zourabichvili has already launched a campaign to collect the signatures of 50 000 voters, a requirement for new  parties to participate in local elections.

The President has not yet announced an election date.

President Saakashvili said in April that local elections will be held “in or around November,” But in June Saakashvili said that there is no hurry to set the date.

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