“The convicted felon and foreign national Mikheil Saakashvili is attempting to establish direct rule over the party he himself founded,” stated MP Archil Gorduladze, Chairman of the Legal Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia.

According to Gorduladze, it is this very individual who stands behind either the infighting or the theatrical show; he is losing his grip and the reins of control over the party because its members have attempted to establish direct contact with their external superiors, bypassing Saakashvili entirely.

“What we are witnessing now is an attempt by Saakashvili to bring the party back under his sphere of influence. Imagine what a dire state the collective United National Movement has fallen into, and their superiors are in an even more difficult predicament if they could not find anyone better than Nanuka Zhorzholiani. This is very welcome. This shows that the vast majority of Georgians prioritise their nation over blind obedience to external handlers. Frankly, it makes absolutely no difference who occupies the position of nominal party chair within the United National Movement,” Archil Gorduladze stated.