Nika Melia becomes new UNM party chair
Nika Melia will officially take the chair's post at the UNM party assembly. Photo: Nila Melia/Facebook
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Nika Melia will be the next chair of the United National Movement (UNM) based on the results of the opposition party polls.
The UNM launched an online poll on December 21 following Grigol Vashadze’s resignation.
Noting that their online poll has been ‘transparent’ as only verified users could vote, the UNM said it ensured wide participation of party supporters in the election process as well.
Out of the 20,779 votes:
- Nika Melia received 13,491 votes (64.9%)
- Levan Varshalomidze received 7,288 votes (35.1%)
Levan Varshalomidze who competed with Melia, congratulated the latter on election victory.
Melia, on his part, welcomed ‘this innovative’ form of electing the party chair, saying it is the UNM’s success.
Yes, the United National Movement has won. It is not only my victory, but we have all won together”, Melia said.
Thanking everyone who participated in the poll, Melia said ‘we should return the Georgian politics its dignity with the common fight, joint efforts, new people, new endeavour’.
The Prosecutor’s Office says that they will appeal the verdict of Tbilisi City Court against former opposition MP Nika Melia in the high-profile Cartu Bank case.
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.
The head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Grigol Vashadze has stated that he has left the party and said that the presence of ‘odious figures’ in the party and attacks on the diplomatic corps and ‘other controversies’ pushed him to resign. Vashadze said in his Facebook post released earlier today that he has done his best as the head of the party since January 2017 to make the party stronger.
Opposition United National Movement party member Nika Melia, who is charged with incitement to violence during the recent Tbilisi protests, will have to wear an electronic bracelet to be monitored, as the Court of Appeals did not change the decision of Tbilisi City Court earlier today and accepted Melia’s release on bail.
The new chair of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia may be sent to pretrial detention for refusing to pay 40,000 GEL bail, the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office said earlier today.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has asked parliament to suspend MP status for the new chair of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia to then request his arrest from the court.
The ruling Georgian Dream party will support the suspension of the MP immunity for opposition United National Movement party chair Nika Melia as he has refused to pay the bail. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office asked parliament to suspend MP status for Melia to then request his arrest from the court on Friday.
The Georgian Parliament has suspended opposition MP and the new chair of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia earlier today per the request of the Prosecutor’s Office.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell fears that the possible arrest of opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia will further deepen the Georgian political crisis and create additional barriers between the ruling party and the opposition to achieve an election agreement.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has stated earlier today that if the head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia posts bail, they will request his release from Tbilisi City Court.
Two individuals have been arrested for damaging the United National Movement opposition party office in Gori.
Officers of Gori Police Division have detained a fourth individual in connection with the case of damaging the office of the United National Movement opposition party in eastern city of Gori.
Georgian law enforcers have detained one individual who allegedly shot at a banner of the United National Movement opposition party which depicts the party’s currently imprisoned leader Nika Melia.
Opposition United National Movement (UNM) members will take up their parliamentary mandates after almost a six-month boycott, party chair Nika Melia has announced after the party’s political council meeting today.
Gia Tsagareishvili, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday hit back at the Chair of the United National Movement opposition party, Nika Melia, for the latter’s critical comments on GD on Thursday that accused the party of “collaborationism with the enemy” and called ruling party representatives “cannons” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Several members of the United National Movement - the largest opposition group in Georgia - on Wednesday voiced their desire for changes in party leadership, including replacement of the party’s current head Nika Melia.
Nika Melia, the head of the United National Movement opposition party on Wednesday said he was ready to re-run for the post “anytime” and slammed several of his party members for a “hasty” briefing earlier during the day that called for a leadership challenge.
Levan Khabeishvili, a member of the United National Movement opposition party, on Wednesday confirmed he would run for the chairmanship of the largest opposition group in Georgia after having initially dismissed reports on the intent.
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.