Former PM Gakharia: ‘I’m staying in politics’
Giorgi Gakharia left the post of the Georgian prime minister on February 18. Photo: Giorgi Gakharia’s Facebook page.
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Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated that he has ‘no plans to leave the country or politics.’
He told journalists earlier today that he will announce his intentions in the coming days.
Gakharia resigned on February 18, 2021, saying that the step was connected with the upcoming arrest of the opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia.
Gakharia's farewell photo has grabbed public attention.
Gakharia said that Melia, who refused to post bail, should be arrested according to the law. However, he stated that amid the political tension the arrest would spark further complications.
Melia was arrested on February 23, shortly after the parliament approved Irakli Garibashvili as the country’s new PM.
The opposition parties which have been demanding repeat parliamentary elections since the October 31 race took to the street again following Melia’s arrest.
The recent EU-mediated talks to help the parties come to an agreement on the issues of repeat elections and the release of Melia ended without result.
The opposition has plans to take to the street again.
Gakharia was appointed PM in September 2019 and was reapproved to the post by the parliament in December 2020, after the elections.
In previous years he was the country’s interior minister and business ombudsman.
Georgian opposition politicians, who plan to travel to the regions to meet with the public, have announced they will gather in front of the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi on May 15.
Former opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia has been arrested by police earlier today for refusal to post bail shortly after the parliament approved Irakli Garibashvili prime minister and his cabinet late yesterday. Melia was arrested in his office in the UNM headquarters in Tbilisi by special unit servicemen. Police allegedly used pepper spray in the room.
A photo that former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia posted last evening on Facebook has immediately grabbed public attention. As of now the photo has over 180,000 emotions, 30,000 comments and 7,500 shares.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced his resignation earlier today, saying that the step is connected with the upcoming arrest of the opposition MP, the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia. Gakharia has stated that Melia violated the law and has been engaged in sparking tension in the country.
Former Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia has posted a photo taken at the grave of the country’s first President Zviad Gamsakhurdia earlier today and stated that ‘we must end polarisation and work towards the building of a successful state.’
Six MPs of the ruling Georgian Dream have left the party earlier today to join the future political party of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.
Gori Municipality Mayor Konstantine Tavzarashvili has dismissed his two deputies for endorsing ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s party.
Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced the formation of the For Georgia political union. Gakharia, who has the party presentation later today, made the announcement on his Facebook page on May 28.
Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who now chairs the For Georgia political union, said at the party’s launch presentation earlier today that ‘we unite for Georgia, but not against anybody’. Stating that his team will be actively involved in political processes, Gakharia said Georgia now needs a political party which can ‘look the truth in the eyes’ and speak up about the challenges the country is facing nowadays, instead of living in illusions.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has accused former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and the opposition United National Movement party of planning an alleged coup back in February. The ruling party chair Irakli Kobakhidze told Rustavi 2 media outlet on Friday that then-PM Gakharia had been requesting to postpone the detention of UNM chair Nika Melia for a couple of days after the court ruling for ‘groundless reasons’.
The For Georgia political party, which was recently founded by former PM Giorgi Gakharia, has officially addressed the country’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the allegations of the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze of an alleged coup attempt.
Georgia’s former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who resigned earlier this year and founded a new political party For Georgia back in May 2021, has held meetings in the US to raise awareness of his party and discuss various issues with American officials and experts.
Georgian broadcasting channel Rustavi 2 reported on Wednesday an alleged meeting of the country’s ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili and the former PM Giorgi Gakharia, now the leader of the opposition party For Georgia, at the Mayflower Hotel in the United States’ capital. Members of both parties strongly denied rumours about the meeting, calling it fake news created by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Seven employees of Khashuri City Council have left the ruling Georgian Dream today to join the political party of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.
An opposition political party For Georgia has made an official decision to participate in the 2021 local self-government elections.
Former Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia, who now leads the For Georgia opposition party, has announced today his plans of running for Tbilisi mayor. Gakharia said that three months after the establishment of the For Georgia party it has been the one and the only political party with an increasing rating in Georgia.