21 opposition parties, both parliamentary and non-parliamentary, made a joint appeal on December 30 calling for holding of local elections in Georgia under the UN aegis.

The joint appeal to the UN Secretary General says that under “the one-man rule” of Mikheil Saakashvili there “is no guarantee of holding elections in free and democratic environment.”

The appeal, which was made upon the initiative of the Labor Party, also says that absence of proper conditions for holding free and fair elections poses threat of “destabilization.”

Some opposition politicians, who have signed the appeal, acknowledge that there is little chance of holding elections under the UN aegis, but they say the fact it itself that so many opposition parties signed a joint statement saying electoral environment in Georgia is not conducive for holding fair elections is important.

MP Giorgi Targamadze, leader of the Christian-Democratic Movement and of parliamentary minority, said that the appeal would help to generate more international attention towards the planned local elections.

“The fact that the political forces agree that the current electoral environment is unfair, undemocratic and that the international community should contribute to it [improvement] is absolutely correct,” Irakli Alasania, leader of Alliance for Georgia, said.
 
The appeal is signed by the following opposition groups: New Rights; Our Georgia – Free Democrats; Republican Party (these three parties are part of Alliance for Georgia); Democratic Movement–United Georgia (led by Nino Burjanadze); Movement for United Georgia (ex-defense minister Irakli Okruashivli’s party); Movement for Fair Georgia (led by ex-PM Zurab Nogaideli); Industrialists; Freedom Party; Georgia’s Way (led by Salome Zourabichvili); National Forum; Conservative Party; Labor Party; Party of People; Christian-Democratic Movement (leading party in the parliamentary minority); Georgian Troupe; On Our Own; Traditionalists; Women’s Party; Greens’ Party; Social-Democratic Movement for Development of Georgia and White Movement. The appeal was also joined by a public movement Defend Georgia, led by Levan Gachechiladze.