UNM party split causes changes in parliamentary factions

The split of the United National Movement (UNM), Georgia’s largest opposition party, will cause several changes in the country’s parliament.

The changes will affect the factions included in the Parliamentary Minority.

Until now, the parliamentary minority has consisted of two factions: the United National Movement and the National Movement for Georgia’s Advancement. In total, the two factions had 27 members.

Out of the 59 party members who left the UNM yesterday, 21 were Members of Parliament (MP).

Since those who left the party form a majority, they will be able to manage the faction according to their platform. Today they held their first faction meeting and announced that the name and head of the United National Movement faction has been changed. Now the faction will be called European Georgia and will be headed by Sergo Ratiani instead of the former faction head, Nika Melia.

As for the other faction, the National Movement for Georgia’s Advancement, its name has been changed to "European Georgia for a Better Future” and Elene Khoshtaria remains its head.

These changes mean that UNM’s parliamentary factions are now all in the hands of those who have left the party.

UNM members did not attend today’s faction meeting but said they would create a new faction for the UNM.