United National Movement (UNM) party has left the Opposition Alliance, a group of nine Georgian opposition forces formed in March, the party’s press service confirmed to Civil.ge on November 3, following months of disagreements between the UNM and other alliance members.
While the party did not say when the split became official, the confirmation comes a day after the Opposition Alliance changed its Facebook page’s profile picture, removing the UNM’s logo from the Alliance logo featuring the member parties.
A series of disagreements between the UNM and its alliance partners, including Ahali, the Federalist party, and Freedom Square, have been simmering for months, with party leaders repeatedly trading criticism and accusations.
“[United] National Movement left the alliance six months ago. Don’t spread disinformation,” Tamar Chergoleishvili, leader of the Federalists, wrote on Facebook following the UNM’s departure being officially confirmed.
Jailed former President Mikheil Saakashvili, the UNM’s founder and most influential figure, has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the alliance’s strategy. In turn, alliance members have criticised Saakashvili’s influence over UNM policies, what they saw as his disregard for unity efforts, and his public attacks on fellow opposition groups.
The dispute became increasingly public in June, when Ahali leader Nika Gvaramia suggested that the UNM had effectively sidelined itself from the alliance, saying its representatives had stopped attending meetings and had played no role in organizing the May 26 rally.
The UNM’s departure also comes amid internal restructuring and a “reform” process within the party, fueling separate party-internal controversies.
At its August 5 congress, the party elected an interim eight-member governing council, headed by Irakli Pavlenishvili, to lead the party for six months until a permanent chairperson is selected. Former chair Tinatin Bokuchava, whose term expired in early July, declined to join the council but remained on the party’s political council.
The congress also endorsed plans for a separate Reformers’ Board, intended to bring in figures from outside the party and make recommendations on its future direction. The initiative is associated with Saakashvili and television personality and activist Nanuka Zhorzholiani, whom he had previously proposed for the party leadership.
The UNM, along with the Coalition for Change, which includes the Ahali, Droa and Girchi – More Freedom parties, Lelo/Strong Georgia, Gakharia for Georgia and the Federalists, is facing the threat of a ban as the Constitutional Court hears the ruling Georgian Dream party’s lawsuit seeking to outlaw them. The Court is set to resume hearings on November 9.
As the Court ruling looms, the Alliance launched on October 25 a broader political campaign set to culminate in a demonstration on November 28, falling on the second anniversary of the start of non-stop pro-EU, anti-government protests triggered by Georgian Dream’s announcement on suspending EU accession efforts.
Last updated on November 3, 15:25.
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