One more member leaves opposition party UNM
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Friday, May 6
“The United National Movement (UNM) has turned into a closed system, which serves the personal interests of a small group of people,” said Giorgi Vashadze on May 5, adding that he has already left the party.
According to him, his decision to leave was made due to a conflict of interests and views with other members of the UNM.
Vashadze also underlined that his decision is not linked to the UNM’s election list, in which he was not in top 10.
“I made this decision after a long time of thinking. I want everyone to know that it is not in connection with the election list. I just want Georgia to be successful and will do everything to achieve this goal,” said Vashadze.
Furthermore, Vashadze stated he will form a new political party, composed of of young and new faces.
“I refuse a guaranteed place in the election list and I plan to set up a new movement, the main principle of which will be bringing new faces to politics,” stated Vashadze.
Another member of the UNM, Sergo Ratiani, stated that Vashadze left the party only because he was not in top 10 of UNM’s election list.
“His action was very irresponsible. We all fight against Georgian Dream’s (GD) regime and even the leaders of the UNM gave their places in the election list to the ones who can assist us in this fight. Vashadze was simply offended, and that is why he made such a rash decision,” Ratiani noted.
Former President of Georgia (and founder of UNM) Mikheil Saakashvili assessed Giorgi Vashadze’s decision as a game of former PM and founder of the majority Georgian dream (GD), Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Ha has released a statement explaining that former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili is trying to undermine the main oppositional centre through financial and other levers.
“Ivanishvili realized he could not destroy the UNM, therefore he is trying to use financial and other levers to undermine the main oppositional centre. I believe the UNM will get stronger in the pre-election period and beat Ivanishvili and his puppets,” reads Saakashvili’s statement.
A member of the parliamentary majority, Manana Kobakhidze, stated that it is obvious to everyone that the UNM has internal problems.
“There is a split among the members of the UNM. Some other members also left the party earlier. They just are fighting for places in Parliament,” said Kobakhidze.
Meanwhile, political Analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze believes there is a conflict between the old and new members of the party.
“The UNM needs to change its political approach. They must understand that old members should share political power with the new ones. If the leaders will not change anything, I assume that some other members may also leave the party,” stated Sakvarelidze.
