If you participate in a dishonest process, in a Russian special operation, with half your strength, it is clear that you are participating in order to get several seats in the city council so that they receive salaries, - Giorgi Baramidze, the political secretary of the United National Movement, stated on PalitraNews while talking about the local government elections.

According to him, the opposition is confusing voters with its contradictory positions regarding the local government elections.

"The regime benefits from this, it whitewashes itself, it gives them a small but certain kind of legitimacy to what our EU partners told us not to do. Let's not confuse the voters and let's not allow this Russian gang of traitors and criminals to say: "It wasn't so bad, because two of the four parties that crossed the barrier are participating in this special operation, and we are not that bad." I will not even start talking about the fact that neither of them can win. If we had gone together and there had been honest elections, then, of course, we would have won, but in a dishonest process, in a Russian special operation, if you go with half strength, you obviously go to get a bone thrown at you, to get several seats in the city council and to get the salary. Is that what you're going for? Of course, this will confuse the people we should go to and tell them to protest this regime. That is why we say it is a betrayal of the common national movement,” said Gia Baramidze.

According to him, in this situation it is important for the opposition to be together, to fight together and to pursue a policy of exposing the regime.

“I really do not want these colleagues of ours, with whom we have cooperated quite fruitfully in the past, to cut off their heads and turn their backs on people, to deal a very heavy blow to the struggle and perhaps prolong the existence of the regime for weeks or months. This is not the opinion of the National Movement and the other seven parties alone. If you do not believe us, read the European Parliament resolution. The resolution says something unprecedented, that cooperation with this regime is one of the ways to legalize or politically whitewash them. We should not do this. In this situation, it is important to be together and pursue a policy of exposing the regime and fight together. No one knows in advance what will happen, the main thing is not to bow down to this regime, not to be intimidated by the regime's threats, not to be afraid of being arrested, not to be deceived or bribed by the regime," said Giorgi Baramidze.

When asked if there is an opinion that the parties participating in the local government elections are afraid of something and whether the position of Lelo can be considered in this context, Gia Baramidze answers: "I do not rule out anything, it is very difficult for me as a person. No matter how different the politicians may be and how many plans they have regarding a number of issues, I do not want anyone to be excluded from this fight. I want them to come to their senses. This is not an election, this is a Russian special operation."