UNM chair Bokuchava denies removal rumours, vows she won’t ‘leave the battlefield’

The chair of Georgia’s opposition United National Movement, Tina Bokuchava, has dismissed reports that she has been removed from her position, saying she has a democratic mandate and will not step down.

In a post on social media on Thursday, Bokuchava said the party’s delegates had entrusted her with the leadership role through a representative congress and that she had no intention of abandoning her responsibilities.

“I was given this enormous responsibility by the delegates of the United National Movement through a representative congress with a democratic mandate, and I do not intend to flee the battlefield,” she wrote.

Bokuchava said media outlets had repeatedly contacted her after reports circulated claiming she had been removed as party chair. 

She described the claims as propaganda and insisted they were aimed at undermining her and the opposition.

The opposition leader also criticised what she called pro-government propaganda and said she had faced years of attacks and threats. 

She argued that the party’s international efforts and cooperation within the opposition alliance were particularly troubling for the authorities.