Ex-PM Gakharia dismisses media reports of meeting with Saakashvili

Ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia says that the ruling party is fighting with him. Photo: government of Georgia press office.

Agenda.ge, 24 Jun 2021 - 14:15, Tbilisi,Georgia

Former Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia, who currently chairs the For Georgia political party, has dismissed the reports of Rustavi 2 that he has met with Georgia’s ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili in Washington D.C.

Gakharia, who has held several meetings with US officials and experts earlier this week, has confirmed that he and Saakashvili both stayed at the Mayflower Hotel, but it was a coincidence.

Ex-PM Gakharia visits US to raise awareness of his political party, discuss political issues

We booked the hotel earlier before the visit because the site was convenient to us for meetings. I have nothing to do with Saakashvili,” Gakharia said.

He stated that ‘if the ruling party had fought with the United National Movement with the strength it fights with me, there would be a different political reality in the country.’

A member of For Georgia party Kakhaber Kemoklidze says that the ruling party is engaged with spreading fake information.

Ruling party head Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that 'the coincidence further strengthened a suspicion that Gakharia and Saakashvili are cooperating.'

Earlier Kobakhidze expressed his suspicion that before resignation Gakharia could cooperate with the United National Movement (UNM) opposition and its leader Saakashvili to overthrow the government.

Gakharia resigned as the country’s PM and left the Georgian Dream back in February 2021.

He stated that the reason for the resignation was a disagreement with the ruling party on the issue of the head of UNM, who was arrested shortly after Gakharia’s resignation for his refusal to post bail for the case connected with June 2019 protests in Tbilisi.

Gakharia later formed the For Georgia party in May and confirmed its participation in the upcoming municipal elections in October.