Parliament Speaker farewells staff
"A new, better stage is starting in Parliament”, he says

Georgia’s Parliament Speaker and former leader of the Republican Party David Usupashvili has today held a farewell meeting with staff working in the Parliament of Georgia.

He said goodbye to his colleagues and other staff in the legislative body by saying "see you soon”. 

Usupashvili led the Republican Party in last month’s Parliamentary Elections but quit the party after it failed to gain five percent of votes, mandatory to enter Parliament and gain seats in the legislative body.

Today as he said goodbye he appeared to be in a positive mood.

I am full of happiness today because as one stage ends for Parliament a new, better stage starts and all the future stages will be better and better,” Usupashvili said. 

He praised the legislative body staff and stressed they were the people who had ensured Parliament operated smoothly and did it's job at a high standard.

Usupashvili was optimistic for the upcoming Parliament and believed new Parliament staff would continue serving the country as they used to. 

David Usupashvili (third row, centre) thanked Parliament staff for their efforts and serving state interests. Photo by Teona Managadze. 

After the farewell ceremony Usupashvili told journalists after that "it was better for a person to experience being Parliament chairperson only once in his or her life.” 

There are many other things that need to be done in the country, in Parliament among them,” he said. 

Usupashvili announced his decision to quit the Republican Party last month, shortly after the Parliamentary Elections, and said he was eager to establish a new political force that would have a chance to win the 2020 Parliamentary race. Today he said: 

If you stay in politics it means that you must be ready that one day, by chance, people may vote for you and even appear in Parliament,” Usupashvili said, smiling. 

Before the end of November Georgia's new Parliament and Government will gather, in the wake of  the country's first and second rounds of Parliamentary Elections, held on October 8 and 30 respectively.