Three opposition MPs join Lelo faction in parliament
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Salome Samadashvili from the United National Movement opposition party, Armaz Akhvlediani and Shavla Shavgulidze who appeared in the 10th convocation of the state legislature through the European Georgia opposition party list, have joined the Lelo opposition party faction in parliament.
Neither the United National Movement nor European Georgia have entered the state legislature so far, unlike other opposition parties who have signed the EU-mediated agreement and took up their mandates after a several-month political tension in Georgia.
The name of the faction is Lelo - Partnership for Georgia.
Samadashvili says that Georgian opposition parties should do their utmost to win this year’s municipal elections.
She says that the opposition’s presence in parliament will not allow the Georgian Dream government not to ‘fully fulfill’ the EU-mediated agreement by the European Council President Charles Michel.
Former member of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze has stated that he will continue work in the state legislature as an independent MP.
Tbilisi City Court has accepted the release of the head of the United National Movement Nika Melia after the European Union posted Melia’s 40,000 GEL bail on May 8, following the EU-mediated agreement between Georgian political parties in April. After the completion of technical issues Melia will leave Rustavi prison where he has been in pretrial custody since February 23, 2021.
The European Union Delegation to Georgia ‘warmly welcomes’ the decisions taken by Georgia’s political leaders in line with the European Council President Charles Michel's proposal aimed to solve the political tension in Georgia. It meanwhile calls on all other elected MPs ‘to join the agreement and contribute to its implementation, in the interest of Georgia, its citizens, EU-Georgia relations and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future’.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned the co-founder of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV channel Giorgi Rurua shortly after opposition MPs took up their mandates earlier today, in line with the EU-mediated agreement.
Opposition MPs who have signed the EU-mediated agreement with the ruling Georgian Dream party earlier this month have entered parliament earlier today.
Two Georgian parliamentary factions, Lelo-Partnership for Georgia and Charles Michel’s Reforms Group have signed a memorandum earlier today which aims to push Georgia’s and Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Salome Samadashvili, a former leader of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party, will hold the post of the Political Secretary of Lelo, another opposition group.