Ex-President Zourabichvili claims local elections won't take place

Georgia’s former president Salome Zourabichvili says she is convinced that the upcoming local self-government elections will not take place, calling them a political illusion orchestrated by the ruling Georgian Dream party to manipulate and divide the opposition.

“If anyone in this country still believes local elections will be held, that’s a myth,” Zourabichvili stated. “There are no real elections—only the idea of elections, planted by Georgian Dream to split the opposition into those ‘for’ and ‘against’ something that doesn’t even exist.”

She argued that the government has no intention of holding meaningful elections and is merely using the narrative to weaken protest movements and sow internal conflict among opposition groups.

“I’m certain these elections won’t happen. The government won’t carry this myth to the end. But in the meantime, the opposition is fractured, and protest momentum is fading. Those participating in the elections are bound to fail—there’s no formula for success. Even the parties supporting participation don’t claim they’ll defeat or weaken the regime. It’s unclear what their real aim is. If it’s party consolidation, that’s already been undermined by growing discredit.”

Zourabichvili also dismissed calls for a boycott, describing it as just as ineffective as participation.

“There has never been a boycott that led to victory. In today’s reality, just as elections would be rigged, a boycott would also be manipulated—perhaps even more easily,” she said. “Under pressure, fear, and money, people can still be dragged to the polls—even those who oppose the regime. If the boycott can be counted, the regime will spin it as its own success. That’s how boycotts usually end in authoritarian systems.”

According to the former president, neither participating in nor boycotting the elections offers a real path forward.

“Both strategies are flawed and drain critical resources. Financial and human capital are being wasted—resources that should fuel civic protest. Even understanding the goal of this boycott campaign is difficult, and I imagine many others are confused as well.”

Zourabichvili concluded by urging the opposition to seek unity over division.

“Our only way forward—yesterday, today, and tomorrow—is unity. Everything that promotes division, weakness, and hopelessness only serves the final levers of control held by the already crumbling Georgian Dream regime.”