Parliament vice speaker: opposition UNM party “collapsing”, finding it “difficult” without former president
In his remarks over the matter, Ioseliani said it would be “good” if the UNM “transformed into a European party” instead of being “dependent on one person, one leader”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Levan Ioseliani, a member of the Citizens opposition party and the vice speaker of the Georgian parliament, on Monday said the opposition United National Movement party was “collapsing” and finding it “difficult to make decisions” without the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili.
In his remarks over the matter, Ioseliani said it would be “good” if the UNM “transformed into a European party” instead of being “dependent on one person, one leader”.
We have been saying for a long time that the United National Movement party is collapsing, and we see nothing tragic about this. It would be good if this party transforms into a European party that does not depend on one person, one leader”, the parliament official said.
“Mikheil Saakashvili distanced himself from the party and this led to the acceleration of these processes. It is difficult to make decisions in the United National Movement party without Saakashvili - they have no other experience. They also have to learn to live without Saakashvili, they have to talk to people”, he concluded in his comments.
The United National Movement opposition party is a paralysed political structure but may have chances to recover if its founder, the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, quits politics, Girchi opposition party MP Iago Khvichia said on Wednesday in comments on reports of Saakashvili planning to retire from political life.
Two opposition MPs in the Georgian Parliament, Vakhtang Megrelishvili and Levan Ioseliani, on Tuesday condemned the move by three opposition parties and several MPs to boycott a working group recently proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party and instead create a parallel format last week to work on Georgia’s European Union membership candidate status.
Levan Ioseliani, a member of the Citizens opposition party and the Vice Speaker of the Parliament, on Tuesday said the domestic opposition should work with the proposals presented by the ruling Georgian Dream party for fulfilling the European Union’s conditions for obtaining the membership candidate status later this year in addition to presenting its own vision.
Citizens opposition party MP Aleko Elisashvili on Monday said the idea of a “technical government” in the country had “failed” as he accused non-governmental organisation representatives of “turning into politicians” and deciding to “overthrow the Government” before “declaring themselves ministers” in a rally held in Tbilisi on Sunday.
Levan Ioseliani, a member of the Citizens opposition party and the vice speaker of the Georgian parliament, on Wednesday called on MPs who did not want to be involved in the work of the lawmaking body to leave the parliament “in good time”, following a statement by an opposition leader about intentions of his party to abandon seats.
Levan Ioseliani, a member of the Citizens opposition party and the vice speaker of the Georgian parliament, will attend the United States midterm elections as an observer next week.