Ahali’s Nika Gvaramia: No one was expelled from anywhere; UNM decided long ago to leave the alliance, and we cannot force anyone to stay or abide by rules

“In my view, the decision made by the United National Movement is wrong from every perspective, especially in terms of timing and context, particularly through the prism of political parties being banned,” stated Nika Gvaramia, one of the Opposition Alliance leaders.

According to Gvaramia, the United National Movement decided to leave the coalition of its own accord.

“No one was pushed into anything, and no one was expelled from anywhere. They decided long ago that they ought to leave the alliance, and only later made that public statement. We cannot force anyone to remain somewhere or abide by anything. It is an individual choice for everyone to be a member and act in accordance with the rules. Regrettably, this is their decision, one that I believe is wrong from every standpoint, especially given the current timing and context, and even more so in light of party bans. However, it is their decision, and there is nothing we can do about it,” Gvaramia stated.

For context, the Opposition Alliance updated its Facebook profile with a new image, which no longer bears the United National Movement logo. Tamar Chergoleishvili, leader of the Federalists, also posted on social media addressing the development.

“Our doors remain open to anyone who adheres to the rules,” Chergoleishvili wrote.

Irakli Pavlenishvili, who chairs the UNM’s temporary governing board, said it was immaterial whether the party was expelled or walked away, emphasising that it had stopped participating in alliance activities long ago.