Lelo for Georgia
Lelo for Georgia ლელო საქართველოსთვის | |
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Leader | Mamuka Khazaradze |
General Secretary | Irakli Kupradze |
Chairman of Political Council | David Usupashvili |
Founded | December 22, 2019 |
Merger of | Development Movement New Rights Party |
Headquarters | Central Station, Tbilisi |
Ideology | Liberalism[1] Pro-Europeanism[1] |
Political position | Centre[2] |
National affiliation | Strong Georgia (since 2024) |
European affiliation | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party[3] |
Colors | Yellow |
Seats In Parliament | 2 / 150
|
Municipal Councilors | 29 / 2,068
|
Seats in Tbilisi City Assembly | 2 / 50
|
Website | |
lelo9 | |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Lelo_for_Georgia_%28old_logo%29_-_transparent_cropped.png/220px-Lelo_for_Georgia_%28old_logo%29_-_transparent_cropped.png)
Lelo for Georgia (Georgian: ლელო საქართველოსთვის, romanized: lelo sakartvelostvis, lit. 'Try for Georgia') is a centrist liberal political party in Georgia that was created at the end of 2019 by businessmen Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze.[4] The party has attracted a number of prominent political figures and parties (through mergers), including David Usupashvili's Development Movement, the New Rights Party and Pikria Chikhradze.[5] It also has attracted a number of center-left political figures, such as Grigol Gegelia.[6][7]
Political ambitions
[edit]The party sought to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia.[8] The party said it sought to "defeat the bipolar system" that it sees as dominant in Georgia.[4] They are close from the opposition alliance which formed during early 2020 in order to contest the Georgian Dream parliamentary majority.
Political views
[edit]Lelo for Georgia is a centrist and liberal party, which aims to transcend the dichotomy between the Georgian Dream and the United National Movement.
The party supports the setting of a minimum wage, parental leave, and the setting of overtime pay rates but does not support the institution of unemployment insurance.[9]
They also claim to wish for the re-establishment of the "rule of law" and to make the judiciary power totally independent from the political class. This will is linked with the controversies linked to trials and arrests which are said to be "politically motivated", such as the case of Giorgi Ugulava.[10] The two founders of the party, Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, were both under investigation for money laundering,[11] which they claimed to be politically motivated. The Embassy of the United States of America to Georgia noted on July 25, 2019, immediately after the criminal charge was brought against Khazaradze and Japaridze, that they were ‘concerned about the context and timing of these charges’.[12] A similar observation was made by the 2019 US Department of State country report.[13] The Ombudsperson of Georgia observed that “the case materials do not contain the elements necessary for assessing an action as a crime of money laundering.”[14] In May 2020, Transparency International Georgia published a report which claimed that there was no basis to claim that Khazaradze and Japaridze were involved in money laundering.[15] The case was dismissed in 2022, and Khazaradze and Japaridze were acquitted of all charges of money laundering.
On 2 July 2023, David Usupashvili met with Tigran Khzmalyan, chairman of the European Party of Armenia. The sides discussed opportunities for cooperation between the two political parties.[16]
Origin of the founders
[edit]Prior to setting up the party, Khazaradze and some of his partners had set up a public movement in September 2019.[17] Khazaradze is a co-founder of TBC Bank and of the Anaklia Development Consortium.[18] As of January 2020, the party's program is still under development. At the same time, the party has regularly criticized the government on various policies, including relations with Russia and large infrastructure projects.[19][20]
Electoral performance
[edit]Parliamentary
[edit]Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Mamuka Khazaradze | 60,712 | 3.15 | 4 / 150
|
New | 4th | Opposition |
Local
[edit]Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 47,838 | 2.71 | 27 / 2,068
|
New |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Parties, Parliaments and Polling Averages: Georgia". Europe Elects.
- ^ "Georgia's Political Landscape". Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. 18 October 2021.
- ^ "ALDE Member Parties". aldeparty.eu.
- ^ a b Hauer, Neil (Feb 4, 2020). "Is Georgia Ready for a Trump of Its Own?". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "Lelo, New Rights, Development Movement Team up for Consulting Platform". Civil.GE. 29 Nov 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ Civil.GE (December 23, 2019). "Khazaradze's Lelo, New Rights, Development Movement Set up New Political Union". Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- ^ Dumbadze, Ana (Nov 1, 2019). "12 More Members of Lelo Movement Announced". Georgia Today. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ Forestier-Walker, Robin (26 December 2019). "Georgian business magnate takes on ruling party". Al-Jazeera. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- ^ "voter's guide: labor rights". shroma.ge. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
- ^ "Opposition leader Ugulava sentenced to 3 years in prison". Agenda.ge. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
- ^ "Ombudsperson: Khazaradze-Japaridze Case Materials 'Do not Contain' Money Laundering Elements". Civil.ge. 2020-01-15. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
- ^ "The U.S. Embassy Statement on Criminal Charges Against TBC Bank Co-founders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze (July 25)". 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Technical Difficulties" (PDF). www.state.gov.
- ^ "Ombudsperson: Khazaradze-Japaridze Case Materials 'Do not Contain' Money Laundering Elements". 15 January 2020.
- ^ Pauline David. "TBC Bank Case: Money Laundering Prosecution" (PDF). transparency.ge.
- ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com.
- ^ Civil.GE (12 September 2019). "Mamuka Khazaradze Launches New Public Movement "Lelo"". Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- ^ Lomsadze, Giorgi (September 18, 2019). "Georgia's Third Option". EurasiaNet. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- ^ Lomsadze, Giorgi (Jan 29, 2020). "Can Georgia handle Sergey Lavrov?". EurasiaNet. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
- ^ "KHAZARADZE ABOUT KVESHETI-KOBI ROAD: WHY ARE WE BUILDING A HIGHWAY FOR RUSSIA TO ROLL THEIR TANKS?". Business Media Georgia. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.