Lelo party sceptical on cooperation with UNM under latter’s new Chair
Salome Samadashvili, a member of Lelo and former leader of the UNM, said the latter had “zero chances” to increase the number of its voters under the new leadership. Photo: RFE/RL
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MPs of the Lelo opposition party on Tuesday said their party may not cooperate with the United National Movement, the largest opposition group in the country, following the recent win of Levan Khabeishvili in elections for the new Chair of the latter.
Salome Samadashvili, a member of Lelo and former leader of the UNM, said the latter had “zero chances” to increase the number of its voters under the new leadership, claiming “[use of] administrative resources and old faces” had won the intra-party race that saw the defeat of incumbent Nika Melia.
She noted Khabeishvili, who had earlier pledged to take “all necessary actions” to ensure a release of Mikheil Saakashvili, the imprisoned former President and UNM founder - including a “storming” of the clinic where the latter is receiving treatment - was expected to “further close the party”.
Anna Natsvlishvili, a fellow member of Lelo, said the UNM election results had shown the party had “chosen the past, not the future” and added the outcome was likely to hamper its cooperation with other “pro-Western and future-oriented” opposition groups. She also rejected media reports Melia could join Lelo after losing the race.
With 40 percent of the vote, Melia came second in the electronic voting launched on Saturday, losing the race to Khabeishvili, who received 52.58 percent of the 41,264 votes cast.
The elections followed intra-party tensions between the camps of Khabeishvili and Melia over their position in regard to Saakashvili, the founder of the party.
The verbal spats between the sides included claims last week by Melia, who alleged Khabeishvili was a “puppet” in the hands of the wanted former UNM Defence Minister David Kezerashvili and former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, who he said were involved in attempts of “shadowy interference” in party decisions and activities.
Congratulating Khabeishvili on his win, Melia said he was staying in the party, while Khabeishvili claimed UNM’s door remained “open to all of its members and supporters” who would “fight” for Saakashvili’s release and removal of the Georgian Dream Government.
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.
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.
Elections for the chairmanship of the opposition United National Movement party are underway for the second day by electronic voting.
Khatia Dekanoidze, the Chair of the United National Movement opposition party in the Parliament, on Tuesday announced her resignation from the post, in a development that follows the election of Levan Khabeishvili in the position of the overall Chair of the party.