Opposition parties risk becoming radical forces if they boycott elections, says Georgian Parliament official

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Committee on European Integration of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday the domestic opposition’s refusal to participate in the local elections scheduled for October would mark their transformation into radical forces.

In his interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Makhashvili emphasised that elections were the cornerstone of a political party's role in democracy, and by boycotting them the opposition parties would forfeit their legitimacy as political entities.

“The fact that opposition parties are refusing to participate in the elections indicates that they are formally transforming into radical parties. The essence of a political party is to come to power through elections and organise this process. If a party refuses to engage in this process, it loses even the formal elements that allow it to be called a political party. If they do not participate in the elections, their transformation into radical forces will be officially sealed”, he said.