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Droa

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Droa
დროა
LeaderElene Khoshtaria
FoundersElene Khoshtaria
Batu Kutelia
Nino Goguadze
Tamaz Akhobadze
Founded22 May 2021 (2021-05-22)
Split fromEuropean Georgia
HeadquartersTbilisi, Vake
IdeologyLiberalism[8]
Pro-Europeanism[1]
Political positionCentre-right[2]
National affiliationGirchi-MF/Droa (2023-2024)
Coalition for Change (since 2024)
European affiliationAlliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (affiliate)[2]
Colors  Black   Red
Seats In Parliament
2 / 150
Website
droa.live

Droa! (Georgian: დროა!, romanized: droa!; lit. 'It's time!') is a liberal political party in Georgia founded by Elene Khoshtaria in 2021, after her split from the European Georgia party.[9][10] It was a part of the Coalition for Change alliance for the 2024 parliamentary election, receiving 2 seats in the Georgian parliament.[11]

Sometimes referred to as a "one-man party", due to Khoshtaria’s large role in the group, Droa is famous for its activism.[12] It is additionally a strong advocate of minority and LGBT rights as well as Georgia joining the European Union.[1][2][13]

History

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Elene Khoshtaria in 2024

On 7 March 2021, Droa was founded as a political movement by Elene Khoshtaria, a politician famous for disrupting the invitation of Sergei Gavrilov, a Russian MP from the Communist Party, to Georgia’s parliament kickstarting Gavrilov’s Night protests and being a candidate for the 2017 Tbilisi mayoral election from the European Georgia party.[14][15] The mission of the movement was described as being aimed at exposing "possible corruption, nepotism, injustice, and connections to Russia within the [Georgian Dream] government and public offices."[14]

Khoshtaria was elected to the Georgian parliament in 2020 parliamentary election on the European Georgia party list, however, she, along with the majority of the opposition, decided to boycott the new parliament. She subsequently left European Georgia on 28 December 2020.[9]

On 12 August 2021, Khoshtaria launched Droa as a political party with it participating in the local elections held later the same year.[10] Ahead of the election, Droa along with three other opposition parties (United National Movement, European Georgia, and Girchi - More Freedom) decided to run joint Tbilisi majoritarian candidates with Khoshtaria being nominated as the opposition's joint candidate for Gldani.[16] The party received 0.61% of the vote nationwide and 2.14% in Tbilisi.[17][18]

On 6 September 2023, Droa created an alliance with the libertarian party Girchi - More Freedom.[19] The two parties then further joined Coalition for Change alliance ahead of the 2024 parliamentary election.[11] Droa is a signatory to the Georgian Charter initiated by President Salome Zourabichvili.[20]

Following accusations of election fraud, Droa joined the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election protests together with the other members of the Coalition for Change as well as many other opposition parties.[1]

Activism

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Droa and Khoshtaria, in particular, are famous for their activism with some citizens viewing the organization as more of an activist movement than a political party.[12] The party has participated in and organized several protests since its founding as well as taken part in other forms of activism.

On 11 July 2021, Khoshtaria splashed red paint on the door of a government administrative building in relation to the death of the journalist Lekso Lashkarava in the aftermath of the protest against Tbilisi Pride that resulted in a violent clash between the demonstrators and the journalists covering the event.[21][22]

In October 2021, Khoshtaria in relation to the arrest of Mikheil Saakashvili and his deteriorating health went on a hunger strike demanding his transfer to a civil clinic. She elaborated that "I do not represent Mikheil Saakashvili’s party. I am not his voter. I had and still have complaints against him, but what is happening today around his imprisonment and health is sadistic and cynical revenge against the third president".[23]

On 2 February 2022, Droa sent a delegation to Ukraine to show solidarity amid the threat of an impending Russian invasion. Khoshtaria highlighted the mission of the visit as showing Ukraine that "Georgian Dream’s stance is not the position of Georgia".[24] The party was one of the organizers of the demonstration held on the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, members of the Droa party were among the delegation that went to Ukraine to express solidarity with the country.[25][26]

Droa supported protests held in June 2022 calling for the resignation of PM Irakli Garibashvili and the formation of an interim technocratic government citing the government’s failure to get EU candidate status.[27] The party additionally supported the Russian law protests in 2023, and then once again in 2024.[28][29]

Droa supported the demonstration held at Tbilisi International Airport to protest the resumption of flights between Georgia and Russia.[30] Khoshtaria was among the activists detained on 22 May 2023 in connection to a demonstration held at Kvareli to protest Sergei Lavrov’a sanctioned daughter and her spouse staying at the resort.[31] The party also participated in a protest against the arrival of a Russian cruise ship in Batumi on 31 July 2023 with Genri Dolidze, a poet and the head of the “Droa” party’s Batumi organization, being detained.[32]

Ideology

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Droa is widely described as a liberal pro-Western political party.[33] The party is strongly in favor of EU integration.[1] It has been placed on the centre-right of the political spectrum.[2] Additionally some analysts consider Droa to be a part of the libertarian right due to the party's alliance with Girchi - More Freedom.[34] The party is further seen as being an advocate of minority rights, in particular LGBT rights.[2][13]

Electoral results

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Parliamentary election

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Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government Coalition
2024 Elene Khoshtaria 229,161 11.03
2 / 150
 New 2nd Opposition Coalition for Change

Local elections

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Election Votes % Seats +/–
2021[17] 10,859 0.61
0 / 2,068
 New

Tbilisi city assembly election results

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Election Votes % Seats +/–
2021[18] 10,262 2.14
0 / 50
 New

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Parties, Parliaments and Polling Averages: Georgia". Europe Elects.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "ALDE Member Parties". aldeparty.eu.
  3. ^ a b Will Neal (11 May 2024). "'Our Injuries Will Heal, but the Georgian Government's Reputation Will Not'". Byline Times.
  4. ^ a b "Georgian Dream names opposition parties they intend to ban". OC Media. 23 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b Nadia Beard (19 May 2023). "Moscow's decision to resume flights to Georgia sparks backlash". Financial Times.
  6. ^ a b Deepali Saxena (23 May 2024). "Enduring Georgians Fightback Russian Law". Times Now World.
  7. ^ a b Nadia Beard (7 August 2024). "A Summer of Hope and Despair in Tbilisi". New Yorker.
  8. ^ [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
  9. ^ a b "Senior Member Quits European Georgia Party". Civil Georgia. 28 December 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Khoshtaria's Droa Movement Transformed into Political Party". Civil Georgia. 13 August 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Name change for 'Akhali' party: "Coalition for Change – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa"". Georgia Today. 5 August 2024.
  12. ^ a b Nino Kalandadze; Zaza Bibliashvili; Giorgi Jokhadze; Giorgi Kharebava (10 January 2024). "The Time to Gather Stones: Overcoming Georgia's Two-Party Divide. New study of the "Chavchavadze Center"" (PDF). Chavchavadze Center.
  13. ^ a b "15 Georgian Parties Agree to Defend LGBTQ Rights". Civil Georgia. 16 May 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Former European Georgia Member Launches New Political Movement". Civil Georgia. 9 March 2021.
  15. ^ Keti Chukhrov (31 March 2023). "Anatomy of the Georgian Protests". e-flux.
  16. ^ "Four Opposition Parties Name Joint Tbilisi Majoritarian Candidates". Civil Georgia. 17 August 2021.
  17. ^ a b "October 2, 2021 Municipal Elections". CESKO.
  18. ^ a b "October 2, 2021 Municipal Elections". CESKO.
  19. ^ ""Girchi – More Freedom" and "Droa" in Electoral Alliance". Civil Georgia. 6 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Opposition Parties Sign Georgian Charter". Civil Georgia. 3 June 2024.
  21. ^ Jorge Esda (15 July 2021). "Tbilisi Pride and the Queer Rights to the City". Resident Advisor.
  22. ^ "Thousands rally in Georgia after death of TV cameraman". Al Jazeera. 11 July 2021.
  23. ^ "Droa Opposition Party Leader Goes on Hunger Strike in Support of Saakashvili". Georgia Today. 4 November 2021.
  24. ^ "Georgian Opposition Politicians to Visit Kyiv". Civil Georgia. 2 February 2022.
  25. ^ "Plans for "National Liberation Movement" Announced". Civil Georgia. 23 January 2023.
  26. ^ "The Daily Beat: 24 February – Slava Ukraini!". Civil Georgia. 25 February 2023.
  27. ^ "Georgian Dream, Opposition, Activists Debate Interim Govt Proposal". Civil Georgia. 28 June 2022.
  28. ^ Felix Light (10 March 2023). "Georgian ruling party drops 'foreign agents' bill, protesters remain". Reuters.
  29. ^ George Paniashvili (19 April 2024). "The Daily Beat: 18 April". Civil Georgia.
  30. ^ "The Daily Beat:18 May". Civil Georgia. 19 May 2023.
  31. ^ George Paniashvili (23 May 2023). "The Daily Beat: 22 May". Civil Georgia.
  32. ^ "CSOs: Illegal Administrative Detentions are Repressive Instrument Used by the Police". Civil Georgia. 2 August 2023.
  33. ^ [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
  34. ^ Sergi Kapanadze (3 December 2023). "Anti-Western Propaganda – The Georgian Dream's All-purpose Fix". GEOpolitics journal.
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