United National Movement (UNM) opposition party said on Friday it will boycott MP by-elections in two single-mandate constituencies, Martvili and Sagarejo, scheduled for October.

With the announcement UNM, which has the largest opposition group in the Parliament, joined 11 non-parliamentary opposition parties in boycotting the upcoming MP by-elections, which will be held to fill two vacant seats in the legislative body a year before the parliamentary elections.

Free Democrats, another parliamentary opposition party, has also said it would not be contesting for two seats in upcoming MP by-elections.

MP Sergo Ratiani, executive secretary of UNM, said on August 21 that Georgia, “ruled informally” by ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili, is in the “crisis” and two seats, which are up for grabs in the by-elections, will not help to change the situation. 

“MP-by elections in Martvili and Sagarejo majoritarian constituencies will waste budgetary funds and mislead voters. It is obvious that election of two new parliament members will not change the situation and will not help to overcome the crisis in the country,” MP Ratiani said.

“We will use all the available constitutional means in order to achieve early parliamentary elections and to put an end to the rule by Bidzina Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream,” he added.

Independent candidates, who are not nominated by any of the political party, can also run for majoritarian MP seats in single-mandate constituencies.

MP by-election will be held in Martvili constituency in western Georgia to fill a vacant seat in the Parliament following the death of UNM MP Nauli Janashia in March. Majoritarian MP seat for Sagarejo single-mandate constituency in eastern Georgia became vacant after Tina Khidasheli was appointed as Defense Minister in May.