UNM: Rike Theatre demolition driven by 'personal revenge' against ex-Pres Saakashvili

Georgia's opposition United National Movement (UNM) has accused the ruling authorities of seeking to demolish Tbilisi's Rike Theatre out of "personal revenge" against former president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Speaking on Friday, UNM deputy secretary general Irakli Pavlenishvili claimed the project had become a target because Saakashvili had played a leading role in its development.

"When we talk about the demolition of the Rike Theatre, it is driven by personal revenge, because we know that Mikheil Saakashvili was very actively involved in this project," Pavlenishvili said.

He described the building, designed by Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, as one of the most significant architectural works built in Georgia during the 2010s and said it had been intended to become a cultural landmark for Tbilisi.

Pavlenishvili also alleged that Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili had long opposed the project after his own proposal for a bird-shaped building on the site was rejected.

"First it was left to deteriorate, and now they intend to demolish it," he said.

In separate remarks, Pavlenishvili also addressed relations within the opposition, saying continued attacks on the UNM by other opposition groups made cooperation difficult.

"If others want to do the job without us, they should do it. We wish them success," he said, adding that the UNM would still be prepared to put aside differences when Georgia's interests required it.

He also criticised efforts to portray defeating the UNM as "the formula for defeating authoritarianism", arguing that such rhetoric undermined opposition unity.