Prepared by Messenger Staff
Unity-National Movement Coalition Appeals to CEC to Revoke Party List After Election Disputes
On November 26, Sopo Japaridze, leader of the Tbilisi branch of the opposition Unity-National Movement coalition, announced that the coalition had submitted an official appeal to the Central Election Commission (CEC) to revoke its party list. The request, signed by coalition leader Tina Bokuchava, follows the coalition's rejection of the results of the parliamentary elections.
Japaridze explained that the decision stemmed from the coalition's refusal to recognize the election results. If CEC head Giorgi Kalandarishvili, whom Japaridze referred to as a "participant in the Russian special operation," approves the appeal after the mandatory three-day review period, the coalition will take further steps to ensure the Parliament's legitimacy is never recognized.
Unity-UNM becomes the third opposition group to formally request the CEC to withdraw its lists, following similar actions by Strong Georgia and the Coalition for Change.
Defense Minister Candidate Irakli Chikovani Reacts to US Postponing Military Exercises with Georgia
Irakli Chikovani, candidate for Minister of Defense, has expressed disappointment and confusion regarding the United States' decision to indefinitely suspend the Noble Partner military training exercises with Georgia. The suspension was announced by the US Department of Defense on July 5.
Chikovani described the US decision as "regrettable and incomprehensible," and expressed hope that it would be reconsidered. "The decision taken by the US regarding the postponement of the Noble Partner exercise was regrettable and incomprehensible. During this period, we continued to conduct various exercises with our international partners across different directions. We hope that such decisions will ultimately be revised in line with the reset policy," Chikovani stated.
The Noble Partner exercises have been an annual event since 2016, serving as a symbol of Georgia's military cooperation with NATO and its Western allies. However, the US Department of Defense cited political tensions as the reason behind the postponement. Specifically, the Pentagon pointed to accusations made by the Georgian government against the US and other Western nations. Georgia had claimed that these countries were pressuring it to open a second front against Russia and that the US was involved in attempts to overthrow the Georgian government.
