Parliament official downplays alliance of UNM, Strategy Aghmashenebeli opposition parties
In his remarks over the matter, Sarjveladze said the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party “needed this union” to overcome the election barrier at the 2024 Parliamentary vote, and added “what the United National Movement party could gain [from the move], no one can understand”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Friday said the alliance of the opposition United National Movement and Strategy Aghmashenebeli parties, promoted on Thursday as having created a “victory platform”, as a “mere marketing idea”.
In his remarks over the matter, Sarjveladze said the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party “needed this union” to overcome the election barrier at the 2024 Parliamentary vote, and added “what the United National Movement party could gain [from the move], no one can understand”.
In fact, the statement about creating a ‘victory platform’ is just a marketing idea. They themselves are well-aware that the name ‘defeat platform’ would be more fit for this union. That they have a real prospect of failure is a fact”, Sarjveladze said.
“This was not a decision these two political parties had arrived at because [they enjoyed] a good life. Everyone has their own problems, and the way to solve these problems is the one that, unfortunately, they cannot talk about openly, but the public sees it”, the Parliament official noted.
Sarjveladze also claimed that “arithmetically, their support does not increase with the alliance of the parties”, and alleged the development could even reduce support, because “the electorate of one party may not accept the other”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday alleged the existence of an international campaign “orchestrated and funded” for the purpose of promoting and lobbying for interests of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, following the latest disclosure on the United States Department of Justice’s website of activities of a lobbying firm associated with the former official’s lawyers.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament, on Thursday claimed the latest disclosures on the activities of the United States-based law firm lobbying for the release of the imprisoned former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili had “fully exposed” the “hostility” of the former official, the United National Movement opposition party and “their handlers” to “national interests” and Georgia’s European integration.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said it was “shameful” that “simulant” imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili had been paying “millions of dollars” to damage the country’s reputation,after the latest disclosure on the United States Department of Justice’s website of activities of a lobbying firm associated with the former official’s lawyers.
Thea Tsulukiani, the Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, on Wednesday said the latest disclosure of the United States-based law firm Akerman with the country’s Department of Justice had “proved” the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili had “paid for” European Parliament resolutions calling for his release and for lobbying for sanctions to be placed on the Georgian Government for his alleged ill-treatment in detention.