UNM opposition announces large rally in Tbilisi, voices demands

Levan Khabeishvili, one of the leaders of the United National Movement (UNM), a main opposition party in Georgia, says that the party will hold a large-scale rally in capital Tbilisi in the coming days.

Khabeishvili did not say when the rally will take place, but stated that demonstrators will raise two demands  –  snap parliamentary elections and the release of third president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili from prison.

Khabeishvili said that the UNM will participate in mayoral election runoffs on October 30 in 20 of 64 constituencies ‘to win the race.’

He also responded to the recent offer of ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia, current head of opposition For Georgia party, to the UNM and the ruling Georgian Dream party to cooperate for a balanced party presence in city assemblies.Khabeishvili states that the opposition, including Gakharia, should cooperate to defeat the  Georgian Dream.

Saakashvili left Georgia in 2013, shortly after the Georgian Dream coalition defeated his United National Movement in the 2012 parliamentary race.

He said he returned after eight years in political exile to mobilize his supporters and ‘save the country from the regime of the Georgian Dream’. He was arrested shortly after his return.

Saakashvili was convicted for abuse of authority back in 2018 and sentenced to six years in prison.He has also been charged with four other cases, which are ongoing.