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Security Service include details on conversations of EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell, US diplomats, Israeli Ambassador Ran Gidor, as well as employees of other diplomatic missions in Georgia.
Formula TV, which has seen the leaked files, reported on September 15 that the documents included a brief on Hartzell’s plans to attend a meeting of diplomats with clergy on October 9, 2020, as well as the ambassador’s discussion with another EU Delegation employee on the Georgian Orthodox Church’s stance on holding religious rituals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili accused the opposition of “fabricating” leaked materials. “We understand very well that this severe campaign, which was directed against the [Georgian Orthodox] Church and the government, now against diplomats, serves only one political, narrow party interest.”
2.6 UNM head Melia leaves parliament to run for Tbilisi mayor
The head of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party Nika Melia, who has been nominated for Tbilisi mayor by several opposition parties, has stated that he is giving up his parliamentary mandate to prepare for the October 2 municipal elections.
Melia said that other UNM MPs were "formally staying" in the state legislature to complete procedures for constitutional changes and for the country to shift to the fully proportional electoral system.
He added that the opposition parties must not boycott the upcoming municipal elections and should fight for victory following the recent decision of the ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw from the April 19 EU-mediated agreement.
The agreement, signed by the ruling Georgian Dream party and five of the eight opposition parties (which won seats in parliament in the 2020 parliamentary elections) back in April, resolved a six-month political crisis in the country.
The document, which proposed the holding of repeat parliamentary elections if the ruling party received less than 43% of votes in the 2021 municipal elections and large-scale reforms, was not signed by the UNM because of a note in it on amnesty, the UNM said.
Several opposition MPs, MEPs and international partners have stated that the UNM’s refusal to join the agreement gave a reason to the ruling party to annul its signature to the document.
Now Melia maintains that the ruling party will have to accept the holding of repeat parliamentary elections if they receive less than 43% of votes. However, the ruling party said after the withdrawal from the agreement that it may or may not accept the holding of a repeat parliamentary poll.
The UNM won 34 of the 60 opposition seats claimed in the 150-member parliament in the October 2020 elections.
After the involvement of the EU, the party agreed to end its boycott of the parliament after a six-month political standoff, but would not sign the political
10 GEORGIA Country Report October 2021 www.intellinews.com