UNM dismisses accusations on attacking ruling party office in Dmanisi

The United National Movement opposition party has dismissed allegations that its members raided the ruling Georgian Dream party office in Dmanisi, Kvemo Kartli region, yesterday and attacked local members of the Georgian Dream. 

UNM member Dimitri Shashkin stated earlier today that local representatives of the ruling party attacked one another in Dmanisi ‘as they were unable to share the money and oil sent from the central office.’

The UNM majoritarian candidate for Dmanisi, Tsalka, Bolnisi and Tetritskaro municipalities Kakha Okriashvili says that the ruling Georgian Dream party member Zura Okmelashvili shot three individuals during the incident. 

He said that earlier Okmelashvili attacked the members of the UNM and the party (UNM) has been demanding his detention for about a month. 

If Okmelashvili had been held accountable, the incident would not have taken place,” Okriashvili said. 

GD Executive Secretary Irakli Kobakhidze told Rustavi 2 yesterday that this was ‘a severe provocation’. However, he said that the ruling party is ‘used to that’.

Incidents like this require the toughest response from the law enforcement agencies. It has absolutely no justification and the sanction against the perpetrators may not be diminished any possible way”, Kobakhidze stated.

He said that the intruders threatened the GD staff with knives under the severe influence of alcohol, which was followed by the shooting allegedly 'in self-defence', when the offenders stormed in.

One of the GD employees was stabbed in an attempt to seize a knife from the attacker, the Georgian Dream party said. 

Police are looking into the incident.