Roman Gotsiridze, a former member of the United National Movement currently representing the Eurooptimists faction in the legislative body, on Monday said controversies around his former group had “harmed” the whole opposition. 

The lawmaker's comment came following the signing of a paper by Levan Khabeishvili, the UNM chair, earlier during the day during a live broadcasting, which he claimed was about the dismissal of his predecessor Nika Melia from the UNM, who he called a “puppet” in the hands of former UNM officials. 

“I am as much interested in the developments around UNM as it affects the whole opposition spectrum”, Gotsiridze said, and pointed to their “already comic” nature. 

Melia, who was defeated by Khabeishvili in the January chairmanship elections, claimed the currently imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili and former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili were “at the helm” of the party, pointing to their “reputational problems”.