Parliament official calls “breakup” of United National Movement opposition “expected”
Sarjveladze’s comment followed the reports by the local media that said Melia, who lost UNM Chair elections in January, had invited representatives of the party to the new office. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
Tweet 
Share
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Tuesday responded to reports of former United National Movement party Chair Nika Melia opening a new office in Tbilisi by saying the party’s “breakup” was “expected” due to “tensions” between intra-party groups.
Sarjveladze’s comment followed the reports by the local media that said Melia, who lost UNM Chair elections in January, had invited representatives of the party to the new office.
The breakup of UNM was expected, because at the time the relations between the [intra-party] groups became so tense that it was unthinkable for the party to exist in the same form. Therefore, the failure that UNM experienced will become more and more visible, and we are observing this trend”, Sarjveladze said.
“I don't think that any force in the party [UNM] is more or less harmful to Georgian politics, because both parts are equally distinguished by radicalism, which is what Georgian public needs the least”, the Parliament official noted.
Melia on Monday said he had opened the office due to a “harsh reality” in UNM, and noted the situation in the party had recently worsened “significantly”.
That is why we decided to continue consolidating the opposition opinion and fight for a common goal, and the party management was informed about the office opened in Tbilisi and our goals”, Melia added.
In his turn, UNM member Bacho Dolidze on Monday said Melia’s team had opened the office in Tbilisi after the party’s new leadership had “closed the door” to anyone who did not share their politics.
He also did not exclude holding new party elections, saying “I do not rule out that our voters may question this legitimacy [of new leadership]”.
Melia lost the Chair elections to Levan Khabeishvili, on the backdrop of allegations by some members of former UNM Government officials supporting the latter in the vote, and accusations of “shadowy interference” by them in party affairs.
Nugzar Tsiklauri, a member of the United National Movement opposition party, on Wednesday accused Vano Merabishvili, the former Interior Minister from the party during its time in Government, of ongoing “shadowy interference” in developments in the UNM and domestic politics in general.
Announcement of United National Movement, the largest opposition party in the country, to boycott Parliamentary work in response to Tbilisi City Court ruling on the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is a part of the party’s “continuous efforts” to “hamper” Georgia’s European integration process, Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Tuesday.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Wednesday called “comical” the proposal of Levan Khabeishvili, the newly elected Chair of the opposition United National Movement party, that made offers to authorities in exchange for releasing the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Nika Melia, the incumbent Chair of United National Movement, the largest opposition party in Georgia, on Monday lost the race for the position to Levan Khabeishvili, in an election that followed intra-party controversies over the recent weeks.