The article discusses the controversy surrounding local elections in Georgia, a country that has been experiencing political turmoil and opposition to the ruling Georgian Dream party. The main points of the article are:
* The opposition parties are divided on whether to participate in the local elections, with some arguing it’s an opportunity to gather support and others seeing it as legitimizing the current government.
* A public opinion survey conducted by the Institute of Social Studies and Analysis (ISSA) showed that most Georgians (54.4%) want opposition parties to participate in municipal elections.
* The ISSA poll also revealed that slightly more than half of opposition supporters would only go to the municipal vote if new parliamentary elections are held either before or simultaneously, which the Georgian Dream has ruled out.
* The survey’s findings have been used by both sides to further their agendas, with some commentators accusing the ISSA of bias and others using it as evidence for why the opposition should participate in the local elections.
* The Georgian Dream is confident that they will win all 60 municipalities in the local elections and has announced plans to nominate sitting mayor Kakha Kaladze for a third term in Tbilisi.
Overall, the article highlights the complexities of Georgia’s political landscape and the ongoing struggle between the ruling party and opposition forces.
