[17] On 9 July 2019, Mamuka Khazaradze, the CEO of Georgia's largest universal bank, TBC, announced the founding of a public movement.

[12][20] During the party's first meeting, Khazaradze announced that Lelo's goals would be strengthening the rule of law, reforming the judiciary, pursuing a pro-Western foreign policy, developing a free market economy, and protecting the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Khazaradze also spoke in favour of strengthening the role of ethnic minorities, including Abkhazians and Ossetians, in the "state-building process".

[12] The entrance of Khazaradze and Japaridze to politics has been linked to the dispute with the Georgian Dream-led government over the construction of planned Anaklia deepwater port.

[12] While the construction initially had been awarded by the government to the Anaklia Development Consortium under the lead of TBC Holding in 2017, Khazaradze and Japaridze would face criminal investigations in 2019 over alleged money-laundering that took place in 2008 and the removal from the Supervisory Board of TBC Bank under the separate proceedings by the Georgian National Bank.

[18] In 2014, both Khazaradze and Japaridze, in collaboration with another conservative businessman Levan Vasadze, became co-founders of non-governmental organization "Demographic Society XXI", a conservative group which is known for gathering signatures to hold referendum to ban gay marriage in the country, and drafting several legislations, including the ones on removing terms "sexual orientation" and "gender" from the anti-discrimination law and on prohibiting blasphemy.

Moreover, it was joined by three dissenting MPs from the largest opposition United National Movement and the European Georgia parties, which refused to sign the agreement and enter the parliament, citing "some controversial clauses".

[34][35] The case against Japaridze and Khazaradze would eventually be dismissed in January 2022, with the court acquitting them of all charges of money laundering.

[38][39] The party subsequently signed the Georgian Charter initiated by the president Salome Zourabichvili that sets out goals for a possible future government.

[44] Upon Lelo's founding, it was described as a centre-right liberal conservative party, however, it also included a number of left-wing political figures.

[46] At the same time, it also supports the introduction of a minimum wage, parental leave, and overtime pay but opposes the institution of unemployment insurance.

[12][47] Discussing economy, Khazaradze said that "we believe there has to be dignified minimum wage that will be defined through rational dialogue between business and the state".

[12] Khazaradze also described Lelo as "open-minded about some progressive talking points such as air pollution and occupational safety".

[12] A former leader of European Georgia Gigi Ugulava described Khazaradze as a "Western-oriented political [figure] with conservative views".

Khazaradze stated that the only way for Georgia to counter "Russia's disproportionate international sway" is to forge close ties with prominent Western countries.

[46] The party leaders have called for the re-establishment of the "rule of law" and making judiciary power completely independent from the political class.

[54] 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".