Top figures leave Republican Party
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, November 2
Several top figures have officially quit the Republican Party, one of the oldest parties in Georgia which failed to overcome the minimum 5% threshold in the October parliamentary elections.
Vakhtang Khmaladze, a three-time-Member of Parliament of Georgia and one of the country’s top law experts who participated in drafting the country’s Constitution, announced yesterday that he has left the Republican Party.
Khmaladze came after Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Tengiz Shergelashvili, former Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Paata Zakareishvili and a two time-Member of Parliament Pridon Sakvarelidze.
Zakareishvili already stated he was ready to cooperate with the “legitimate Government of the Georgian Dream” in the future.
He added he has already received an offer of a new governmental job, which he refused to take despite it being a senior positions.
One of the founders and leaders of the Republican Party, Levan Berdzenishvili, said former Defence Minister of Georgia Tinatin Khidasheli (who is the wife of David Usupashvili) and Nodar Ebanoidze also announced that they would leave the party.
Those who quit the party stated there were controversies about the Party’s future steps and ways of action, as the Republicans failed to overcome the minimal 5 percent threshold in the October Parliamentary Elections.
Georgian media speculated that the controversy over the issues emerged between brothers Levan and David Berdzenishvili and several other members of the Republican Party.
Levan Berdzenishvili said that neither Usupashvili nor Khmaladze explained the reasons for the Party members why they decided to quit.
Usupashvili, who announced about the future creation of a new opposition force, responded and said he was not going to become involved in any disputes with the founders and members of the Republican Party.
Analyst Gia Khukhashvili believes that Usupashvili is a top-class politician and he needed to be free from the Republican Party to re-start his career.
The analyst said he was sure that Usupashvili would be back in Georgian politics and stressed that figures like Usupashvili was needed for the country’s interests.
With regards to other members of the party who also quit, Khukhashvili said he believed they would either leave politics completely or be back working in Government posts.
