Civil movement head claims his non-electing as UNM chair, will prolong Saakashvili’s imprisonment

Giorgi Mumladze, the head of the civil movement For Georgia, told Front News on Monday that the rejection of his running for the new head of the United National Movement opposition party, would result in the “longer stay” of convicted former president Mikheil Saakashvili in prison. 

“If the large number of supporters of the UNM will not support me and try to maintain the current leadership with some machinations, it will be a sign that the party agrees with Saakashvili’s presence in prison and rejection of the country’s western future”, he said. 

 

Mumladze said that the UNM “must not” dismiss his intention for the party’s chairperson as he is not the member of the largest opposition group. 

 

“I have the right to participate in the elections of this party, because the UNM is not only the property of the ‘documented’ members, but also of all those supporters who had ensured the presence of it. Saakashvili created this party around ideas, this party is a people’s party”, he said. 

 

Mumladze also stated that the “Russian oligarch” [referring to the founder of the ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili] and “his regime” had decided to  “steal Georgia’s western future”. 

 

“At this time the UNM, which has 600,000 voters, has large resources, budget funding, and its founder is dying in prison, is passive. The freedom of this person is not only the freedom of one man, he is recognized as Putin’s personal prisoner. The latest resolution of the European parliament has called for his release”, Mumladze said. 

 

He once again blamed UNM’s  incumbent head Nika Melia for being “inactive” for Saakashvili’s release.