UNM chair says group of party members attacking him

Levan Khabeishvili, a new chair of the United National Movement opposition party elected in January, on Thursday disapproved of the actions by several of its party members, who he said had been engaged in “continuous criticism” towards him since replacing the former chairperson Nika Melia. 

 

He claimed such an attitude – to be in the opposition’s opposition – would bring “no benefits” to the party, also dismissed the claims several UNM members that former interior minister Vano Merabishvili and former defence minister Daviz Kezerashvili were running the party “shadowly”. 

 

“I did agree with Merabishvili, Merabishvili agreed with me when the party needed to be strengthened under the previous administration. The full majority of the party agreed with him. If everything was fine, nothing would have changed. Let’s leave the past behind. If my fellow party members are in camps and constantly trying to attack their own party, I do not  like it. Such an attitude disappoints me”, Khabeishvili said. 

 

He once again urged the opposition to join the UNM’s rally on April 9, as he said for the country’s “European future”.