Latest news with #EleneKhoshtaria
Civil.ge
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
Khoshtaria Ends Hunger Strike as Eight Parties Pledge to Boycott Local Election
Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the Droa party, said she was ending her hunger strike as she was joined by representatives of seven other opposition parties pledging to boycott the October 4 local elections, an issue that has recently divided the Georgian opposition. However, Lelo and Gakharia's For Georgia, the two major parties that have leaned towards participation, were absent from the unity. 'We refuse to participate in the so-called local elections because we believe that, under the current conditions, taking part in this process will not serve the interests of our citizens and will only provide a facade for the illegal Russian regime,' Khoshtaria read out from the joint statement in the evening of June 30 on Tbilisi's Rustaveli Avenue. The boycotting parties include Freedom Square, European Georgia, United National Movement, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Ahali, Girchi–More Freedom, Droa, and the Federalists. The statement suggested 'complete non-cooperation with the regime' as a path to victory. 'With this spirit and attitude, I'm glad to announce the end of my hunger strike […] for all of us to move to a very active phase of struggle,' Khoshtaria said. The statement comes three days after Droa's leader announced a hunger strike as a 'new form of struggle,' citing jailings of opposition leaders and tragic reports of detained protesters losing family members while in custody. She said in her June 29 statement that she was awaiting the positions of those parties that had yet to announce whether they would participate in the local elections, noting that clarity from political parties about their strategy for the struggle was 'crucial at this point.' However, with the positions of Lelo/Strong Georgia and Gakharia-For Georgia still unannounced, the clarity is yet to be achieved. It remains to be seen whether the pledge by eight parties will influence their decision: while Lelo has insisted on participation, the party has repeatedly implied it was seeking unity over the matter. The issue of participation in the municipal vote remains contentious. Some in the opposition have viewed participation as a betrayal of the ongoing resistance, while others have framed it as an opportunity to challenge Georgian Dream, particularly in major cities, where the ruling party's influence is weaker than in the regions. The debate continues as six opposition leaders are in jail over their boycott of the Georgian Dream parliamentary commission, with five already sentenced to months in prison. Five people, including former MP Gedevan Popkhadze and four activists, had joined Khoshtaria in her hunger strike. All of them ended the hunger strike following the announcement, Nanuka Zhorzholiani, an activist and TV personality, reported late on June 30. Also Read:
Civil.ge
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Civil.ge
Elene Khoshtaria Goes On Hunger Strike as 'New Form of Struggle'
Opposition Droa party leader Elene Khoshtaria announced a hunger strike, saying it is a 'new form of struggle.' 'Now that the regime has launched a new attack and arrested practically all of the opposition, I want to declare a new form of struggle — one that is not emotional or thoughtless, but victory-oriented,' Khoshtaria told reporters as she was announcing her 'firm decision' in the evening of June 27 in front of the parliament building on Tbilisi's Rustaveli Avenue, the epicenter of ongoing non-stop anti-Georgian Dream protests. She vowed not to leave Rustaveli Avenue, citing tragic reports of detained protesters losing family members while in custody. At least three inmates have lost parents since their arrest over protests that erupted after Georgian Dream's late-November announcement to halt EU accession. The most recent case is the death of the father of Onise Tskhadadze, a well-known comedian currently on trial for group violence. 'If you can't see the value of life, the value of freedom […] here's my life, here's my freedom too — and you still can't beat us,' Khoshtaria said, addressing the ruling Georgian Dream party. She went on to say in her 'statement to people' that the 'only way' is 'revolution and their overthrow from the street.' 'I can't tell anyone when to take to the streets, go on hunger strike, go to prison, or come out,' Khoshtaria said. 'I can only say this with my example: I am ready to sacrifice myself against the regime — and I will.' Six people, including five active opposition leaders, have been sentenced to several months in prison in recent days for refusing to appear before the Tsulukiani Commission in the Georgian Dream parliament, which they consider illegitimate. Two more are awaiting final rulings while in pre-trial custody. All three other leaders of the Coalition for Change, an election alliance formed ahead of the 2024 parliamentary vote, which includes Khoshtaria's Droa, are currently jailed: Zurab Japaridze from Girchi – More Freedom has been sentenced to seven months, Ahali's Nika Melia to eight months, while Nika Gvaramia, Ahali's other leader, currently remains in pretrial detention anticipating a similar sentence. Also Read:
