Page 8 - GEORptMay21

2.2 Self exiled Saakashvili announces his return to Georgia prior to ‘referendum’
Former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, who fled the country and currently holds an official post in Ukraine, has urged his United National Movement (UNM) opposition party to sign the new proposal by the EU and enter parliament after UNM leader Nika Melia leaves prison, Agenda.ge reported.
Saakashvili stated in a video address on April 20 that the section of the agreement which stipulates that parliamentary elections should be held in Georgia in 2022 if the ruling Georgian Dream party does not receive at least 43% of votes in this autumn's scheduled municipal elections, “is actually a referendum and the opposition must do its best to win the referendum”. Saakashvili, who left Georgia back in 2013 and faces several charges in the country, has said he will return to Georgia ahead of the municipal elections.
2.3 Georgian opposition party European Georgia changes leadership
European Georgia, the second biggest Georgian opposition party after the United National Movement (UNM), has elected Giga Bokeria as its new leader after both party president Davit Bakradze and secretary-general Gigi Ugulava stepped down and left the party, citing its weak performance in last autumn’s general election.
This means both major Georgian opposition parties, European Georgia and the UNM, have changed their leadership since the poll. Neither of the new leaders, however, have expressed readiness to make concessions in regard to the ongoing opposition boycotting of parliament in protest at what they allege was a rigged outcome of the contest—a position that is being increasingly criticised by the country’s development partners.
Bakradze wrote on social media that European Georgia needs fundamental innovation and reforms, including a complete renewal of its leadership team. Ugulava said that the party required a renewal process.
“Despite the total falsification of the 2020 election, these elections were unsuccessful for the party. At such times it makes perfect sense for the ruling leaders to no longer run for elections and give others the opportunity to develop the party. A similar decision was made by party chairman Davit Bakradze. Unfortunately, our standpoint to resign as the leaders but to stay as ordinary members of the political board was not shared by the chairman of the political board, Giga Bokeria,” he added.
In his remarks at the party congress, Bokeria said the decisions by Bakradze and Ugulava, coming amid challenging times for both the party and the country, were “wrong” and “regrettable.”
Notably, UNM president Grigol Vashadze quit his party last December. Vashadze announced on December 15 that he was stepping down from all his
8 GEORGIA Country Report May 2021 www.intellinews.com