After leaving the United National Movement, Nika Melia plans to found a party together with associates. According to him, the creation of a new party is a request of the people.
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“This party will do a lot for Georgian democracy. There will be skeptics, I have seen many, but then they change their tune. This party, to be founded soon within a reasonable timeframe, will be the most genuine political party, on which qualifications, knowledge, and vision should be built. Many people today are without a choice. We continue to fight against the oligarchic regime, which will not be defeated by "I want to be an oligarch", political corruption cannot be defeated by political corruption,” said Melia.
According to him, informal governance has become the standard of the National Movement since the former Minister of Defense Davit Kezerashvili took over the party.
“Whoever believes that the future of this country lies with Mr. Kezerashvili, long live. I, along with many others, have different goals in mind. These goals are not mercantile; not focused on political business; there is no complicity in political trade or political corruption. Our task is morality, knowledge, courage, and breaking out of this vicious cycle,” said the former chairman of the National Movement.
Political scientists believe that the National Movement has weakened in terms of voter support and it is wrong to regard it as the only real opposition force.
At the briefing held on December 7, Nika Melia said that he is leaving the National Movement and is going “forward into the future”. Earlier, on November 27, the National Movement released a statement that Melia no longer represented the party.
Recently, the members of Akhaltsikhe, Batumi, Zugdidi, Chiatura, Khobi, Kaspi, Sighnaghi, and Akhmeta city councils left the United National Movement. Those who left the party say that they will create a new platform together with Nika Melia.
Infighting in the National Movement started about a year ago when a part of the party members demanded snap elections for a new chairman. In the elections held in January 2023, Nika Melia was beaten and Levan Khabeishvili was elected as the chairman of the National Movement. He was a candidate supported by the former Minister of Internal Affairs, Vano Merabishvili, and the former Minister of Defense and the founder of the TV Company Formula, Davit Kezerashvili. Nika Melia, who was elected as the chairman of the party at the end of 2020 and whose term of office was to expire in 2024, accused Kezerashvili-Merabishvili of trying to interfere in internal party processes and of informal influence.
