Changes in UNM: Koba Nakopia Replaces Nika Melia as Political Council Chairman
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
The United National Movement (UNM), the largest opposition party, has made a reshuffle of its leadership, with party chair Nika Melia stepping down from his position as the interim chair of its political council. He will be replaced with Koba Nakopia, who has been the executive secretary of the UNM since 2019. The post of the UNM’s executive secretary currently remains vacant.
Nakopia stated that the changes in the party were due to a need for ‘proper management.’
In a briefing on January 10, Melia announced that he remains in the post of party chairman, and will lead the UNM Tbilisi organization, replacing Zaal Udumashvili. Melia has served as the chair of the political council of the UNM since 2019. After being elected as the party leader in 2020, he continued to serve as the interim chair of the political council up until now.
UNM also reintroduced the previously abolished position of the general secretary and appointed another longtime member Petre Tsiskarishvili for the post.
Melia noted that an “active process of renewal” will continue in both Tbilisi and regional branches of the party. According to him the changes in the party are necessary due to the challenges the UNM is facing, adding that had the idea of making reforms last year, but failed due to various events such as his arrest in February and former president Saakashvili’s return to the country in October of 2021 after 8 years in political exile. He said it was necessary for the party to significantly alter its agenda and structure to improve its organizational system and better communicate with the public.
“I want all Georgian citizens to know what we are fighting for,” Melia said, stressing the need for the party to appeal to undecided voters and to attract new members.
He also highlighted the importance for the UNM to be more vocal about the needs of ordinary citizens, which according to him, have been neglected recently.
Recall that Nakopia, a UNM member since 2008, was Senaki mayoral candidate in local self-government elections last year, where he received 47% of the vote. He has been a Member of Parliament for 4 convocations. “Transparency International - Georgia” 2016 report indicates Nakopia was among those deputies who never used their right of speech at the plenary session in 2013, 2014 and 2015. According to the property declaration filed in 2021, Nakopia owns houses in Russia and Spain besides Georgia.
According to Iago Khvichia, the leader of Girchi, he expected more from the meeting of the political council of the UNM.
“It turned out that everyone was promoted and Zaliko Udumashvili was to blame for losing the elections,” Khvichia commented, stressing that his expectation was related to taking responsibility from someone.
Ruling Georgian Dream party MP Mikheil Sarjveladze says that despite the changes, the UNM will remain ‘the main destructive force of Georgian politics.’ He doesn’t think that these changes should inspire great expectations in society.
