"For three days, intensive negotiations were held with the president's participation. Yesterday, we reached an agreement in principle. Today, I was on my way to sign," said Mamuka Khazaradze, the leader of the Strong Georgia coalition, in response to former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia's party's statement that an agreement on unification could not be reached at this stage.
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"It's not a tragedy, although I believe the momentum may be lost because, at this point, both the country and each of us need to rise above certain technicalities. I personally was able to do this, as was Badri, starting with signing a coalition agreement with Aleko Elisashvili. Later, you know that Ana Dolidze and Levan Tsutskiridze joined this coalition as part of this agreement. Since I am speaking here today and came to sign, it means I am speaking on behalf of the coalition. I have signed many contracts in my life. There is always passion until the last moment, but that passion fades as soon as the signature is made. We were ready to sign yesterday when I left the presidential palace, and we informed you at 2 o'clock today," Mamuka Khazaradze told journalists.
When asked what had changed in the span of a few hours, the leader of Strong Georgia responded that he did not know.
"Perhaps they decided it was best at this stage. The only thing I want to say is that I respect the members of the coalition who are with us, regardless of their size or influence. I don't view partnerships in terms of who has more supporters. We came forward with a united position. There is parity between us - former Lelo and the Gakharia party - and we had agreed on that.
The three people who joined the coalition - this is why we even changed the name to Strong Georgia, as it is no longer Lelo - should have been considered as an additional part of this already large coalition. No more details are necessary; I think everything is clear," Khazaradze said.
After negotiations mediated by President Salome Zourabichvili, former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia's party, For Georgia, issued a statement explaining that no agreement with the Strong Georgia coalition had been reached at this stage. According to their statement, "the other party could not reach an internal consensus." They added, "The time remaining to make specific electoral decisions is already limited. Therefore, at this stage, reaching an agreement was not possible," the Express team reported.
On September 16, President Salome Zourabichvili called on Giorgi Gakharia and Mamuka Khazaradze to unite ahead of the parliamentary elections. According to the president, undecided voters are waiting for a positive third option that has the potential to mobilize society. "The decision lies in the hands of two pro-European forces: on one side, the Strong Georgia coalition, and on the other, the For Georgia party. I hope that at this critical moment for the country, they will be able to take a step that offers voters more clarity, more certainty, and a sense of empowerment. A step that will convince voters that political parties can set aside personal interests for the sake of the country’s future and play a significant role in safeguarding our European future, something no one will forget," Zourabichvili said.
