Lelo, UNM in alliance, used to racketeering business together – Kobakhidze

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday reiterated his previous claims that the United National Movement, the largest opposition group in office between 2004-2012, and the Lelo opposition party founded by co-founders of the domestic TBC Bank, were acting in coordination and “used to racketeering business” before the GD took office. 

 

In his press comments which came following Khazaradze’s social media post that “all the middle should stood together” – which the party leadership explained meant coordination of pro-European parties in the country, Kobakhidze claimed Lelo, Girchi and the For Georgia opposition parties were “part of the collective UNM”. 

 

He also said if Nika Melia, the former chair of the UNM now opposing the party policies, had “no chances” to overcome the election threshold in the 2024 elections if he formed his party. 

 

Khazaradze has filed a defamation lawsuit against Kobakhidze earlier this year, after the former voiced his allegations over racketeering business.