Opposition leader Japaridze slams Lelo call for talks with ruling authorities

One of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, Zurab Japaridze, has criticised the opposition party Lelo - Strong Georgia for proposing political dialogue with the ruling Georgian Dream.

Writing on social media on Monday, Japaridze said that offering negotiations to what he described as a “Russian-type regime” could only lead to a humiliating response and would not benefit either the broader opposition movement or Lelo itself.

He added that repeated attempts to initiate such political steps risked creating suspicion among the public that the opposition has not fully understood the nature of the government it is confronting.

Japaridze said he had spent time speaking with people on Rustaveli Avenue, trying to convince them that Lelo’s statement calling for negotiations was not coordinated with the founder of Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili.

The remarks came after Lelo - Strong Georgia said it was necessary to overcome political confrontation and begin responsible negotiations between Georgian Dream and opposition parties.