“Every politician who has failed to build and sustain a party, who has lost even the appetite to try, and who lacks the humility to make an honest assessment of their own leadership abilities to join an existing party, take their place within its hierarchy, and work within it, I call upon to retire,” writes Tamar Chergoleishvili, leader of the Federalist Party, on social media.

Chergoleishvili also argues that “without democratic parties and pluralism, no regime can be changed.”

“The fact that you did not succeed does not mean you are entitled to belittle or obstruct the efforts of others. The adoration of delusional hype cannot replace democratic parties. If people follow you and recognise you as a leader, then make a party out of that following, because without democratic parties and pluralism, no regime can be changed,” she writes.

For the political process to function properly, Chergoleishvili argues, the leaders participating in it must have genuine constituencies standing behind them, people who actually trust them.

“For the process to be put in order, we need leaders who genuinely represent their own parties, who are real representatives in the true sense of the word. They must know whom they represent, whose interests they speak for; the people behind them must trust the decisions those leaders take and be prepared to abide by them. If you claim to represent everyone and no one at the same time, no process can be governed on that basis. If we want the decisions reached collectively within a process actually to be carried out, then standing behind each leader in that process must be people who trust that leader, who have chosen them as their own, and who are prepared to act on their decisions,” writes Tamar Chergoleishvili.