Opposition boycott to municipal elections likely to benefit Gov’t, political analyst

David Zurabishvili, a political scientist and former official under the Georgian Dream government, on Wednesday warned that a potential boycott of the upcoming municipal elections by opposition parties would play into the hands of the ruling government.

In his comments, Zurabishvili said the opposition “must weigh the risks of participation versus non-participation carefully,” but do so in private discussions.

“The boycott is clearly in the government’s interests,” Zurabishvili said. “If the opposition decides to take part, of course there are risks – and not a few – but these are calculable.”

He urged opposition leaders to approach the matter with discretion. “What are the risks, who participates, and how – this discussion should remain private,” he noted.

Zurabishvili further claimed the impact on the opposition would depend on the strategy chosen. “Who will suffer more – those who participate or those who boycott – is another question. I’m not sure those who participate will be worse off.”