Alliance of Patriots and five other parties announced on Wednesday about forming an electoral bloc to run on the joint ticket in the October 8 parliamentary elections.
 
Others in the bloc are: Free Georgia, led by Kakha Kukava; Freedom, led by Konstantine Gamsakhurdia; Traditionalists, led by Akaki Asatiani; New Christian-Democrats, led by Gocha Jojua, and Political Movement of Law Enforcement and Armed Forces Veterans.

Leaders of the Alliance of Patriots, which scored the fourth best result in 2014 local elections by garnering 4.72% of votes, say that teaming up with five small parties will help it to achieve better results in “unfair electoral system”, including through having more observers at polling stations throughout the country.

“The goal is to win the elections, but the victory will also be if the next government is not formed without our participation,” said Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, who leads the Alliance of Patriots along with Irma Inashvili.

The party said that the newly formed bloc is open for consultations with other like-minded parties and among them, Tarkhan-Mouravi named the Industrialists Party, as well as planned new party, which will be launched by MP Tamaz Mechiauri. The latter has quit the ruling GDDG party in late May after voicing anti-Western sentiments and criticizing government’s declared policy of NATO integration.

Speaking at Tbilisi-based Obieqtivi TV station, affiliated with the Alliance of Patriots, Tarkhan-Mouravi reiterated on June 8 his party’s position that Georgia’s NATO membership is unrealistic; he also said that Georgia will not be able to join Russia-led Eurasian Union and the country should instead remain in association relations with the EU.

“I want to tell those who want Eurasian Union – existing political and geopolitical situation will not allow Georgia to join the Eurasian Union even if the country wanted to. Today Georgia is in the Association Agreement with the EU and in the existing situation Georgia cannot turn away from this course – the international community will not let us do that,” Tarkhan-Mouravi said.

“But those who want the Eurasian Union should still vote for us and the same should be done by those who want Europe, because we are the political force… which will solve issues with Russia from within Europe… We will take everything positive that Europe has, but we will not let into Georgia those many negative things that exist in Europe,” he said.

“Both [segments] of electorate – those who want in NATO and those who do not want to be in NATO – should also vote for us, because we are the political force, which clearly understands and which is not deluding either itself or voters about NATO integration; NATO will not accept us and NATO is telling it us every day. We are the political force, which will mend ties with Russia in the condition of cooperation with NATO that we now have; and we will find a common language with Russia to start reintegration of Sokhumi and Tskhinvali… So we are the ones who will bring stability,” Tarkhan-Mouravi said.