UNM opposition Chair in Parliament announces resignation
Khatia Dekanoidze’s decision follows the election of Levan Khabeishvili as the UNM chair.
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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.
The former UNM Government law enforcement official, who also served in public positions in Ukraine between 2015-2016, Dekanoidze said she would ask the Parliament Speaker to approve her resignation.
Along with Dekanoidze, who supported incumbent UNM Chair Nika Melia in the voting held last week, other members of the party have also announced their decisions to quit current positions while staying in the party.
Akaki Minashvili, the Political Secretary of the UNM, Koba Nakopia, the Chair of the party Political Council, Giorgi Pataraia, the Head of the party press office and its Public Relations Secretary, Bacho Dolidze, the Organisation Secretary of the UNM and Ana Gogoladze, the Secretary of the Strategic Development, said on Monday they would leave the positions.
In response to the resignations, Khabeishvili said on Tuesday he was “surprised” by the actions of his “friends” and urged them to “stand together” for ensuring the release of Mikheil Saakashvili, the country’s imprisoned former President and UNM founder, as well as the removal of the current 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.
Bacho Dolidze, a member of the United National Movement - the largest opposition party in Georgia - on Tuesday said the former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili could be behind the recent release of illegal audio recording involving the party’s incumbent Chair Nika Melia.
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.
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.
Georgian people see every day how the “radical extremist” party, the United National Movement, has been turning into “some kind of comical organisation”, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Saturday.
Khatia Dekanoidze, one of the leaders of the United National Movement opposition party, on Friday cited its “unjustifiable” governance with an “old paradigm” as the basis for her decision to leave the party.
Tbilisi City Court on Thursday fined Nika Melia, Zviad Kuprava and Bacho Dolidze, members of the United National Movement opposition party, $730 each for an incident with law enforcement officers in September.