Ruling party, opposition respond to Vashadze’s leaving of UNM

Grigol Vashadze has announced his resignation via a Facebook post earlier today.  Photo: Grigol Vashadze’s press office. 

Agenda.ge, 15 Dec 2020 - 17:29, Tbilisi,Georgia

The ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition members have responded to the decision of the head of the opposition United National Movement Grigol Vashadze to leave the party earlier today. 

Vashadze said that the presence of ‘odious figures’ in the party and attacks on the diplomatic corps and ‘other controversies’ pushed him to resign. 

UNM members have assessed the resignation differently. 

UNM members Roman Gotziridze and Salome Samadashvili have praised Vashadze’s chairmanship of the party, stating that he has made the party stronger in the past three years. 

Fellow member of the party Khatia Dekanoidze said that Vashadze’s claim that attacks on the diplomatic corps was wrong, as well as his decision to leave the party without consultations with UNM members. 

Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has responded to Vashadze's resignation. Photo: Archil Talakvadze's press office. 

UNM member Nugzar Tsiklauri responded to Vashadze’s statement on the absence of the UNM strategy, adding that ‘we were waiting for the strategy from Vashadze as he was the head of the party.’ 

Parliament Speaker from the ruling Georgian Dream party Archil Talakvadze stated that the ‘reasons named by Vashadze behind his resignation are a deadly diagnosis for the UNM.’ 

Ruling party MP Kakha Kuchava stated that ‘Vashadze’s resignation and the reasons named by him has proved that the UNM is becoming an anti-western political force.’