As part of the agreement, the signatories pledged to campaign together, avoid losing votes to each other in the October elections and come up with a strategy to support the re-election of anti-Georgian incumbent President Dream Salome Zourabichvili. The statement also calls on Western countries to ensure free and fair elections.
United National Movement leader Tina Bokuchava said the two parties signed the agreement “to defeat the pro-Russian government… (and) save Georgian democracy.”
Georgia was granted EU candidacy in December despite warnings about human rights rollbacks. Just a few months later, Georgian Dream introduced controversial new legislation branding Western NGOs as ‘foreign agents’ and cracking down on LGBTQ+ rights.
Georgian Dream has accused a shadowy cabal of Western organizations and politicians of trying to drag the country into their orbit despite continued public support for EU membership.
Critics of the government say the rules reflect policies introduced by neighboring Russia. Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets to protest after Brussels warned the bill would strip Georgia of its EU candidacy.
Nonetheless, opinion polls show that the government maintains strong support domestically, with about a third of voters saying they would vote for the party again. This is lower than the 48% who supported the Georgia Dream in the last election in 2020, but it won’t be the case. Still making it the biggest party.
