Grigol Vashadze

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Grigol Vashadze. Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

Georgia

Leader of Georgia’s largest opposition party announces retirement

by Shota Kincha

•4 min read

Grigol Vashadze, the chair of the United National Movement (UNM), the largest opposition party in Georgia, has announced today that he has retired from politics. In a farewell announcement published to his Facebook page on 15 December, Vashadze criticised the UNM leadership, without specifying names, over choosing ‘tactics’ without consulting party members, an ‘absence of strategy’, and an inability and unwillingness to learn from mistakes. Vashadze said this only benefited Georgian Dream,

2020 Georgian Parliamentary Elections

UNM leader sidelined after suggesting ‘dialogue’ with Georgian Dream

by Shota Kincha

•4 min read

Grigol Vashadze, the chair of the largest opposition group, the United National Movement (UNM), has rattled his party and their allies by advocating for post-election ‘dialogue’ with the government. On 12 November, opposition groups gathered to agree their next move to push the government to hold new elections after what they have said was a ‘rigged’ parliamentary vote on 31 October. Gigi Ugulava, one of the leaders of the European Georgia party announced after the meeting that they intende

2019 Gavrilov’s Night Protests

Georgian prosecutors probe opposition for ‘rebellion’

by OC Media

•5 min read

The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has announced they are investigating senior opposition figures for attempting to overthrow the government through violence. The announcement came several days after they opened a probe into Nika Melia, a prominent MP from the United National Movement Party (UNM), for ‘organising and leading group violence’ during a protest that turned violent on 20–21 June in Tbilisi. [Read more on OC Media: Thousands clash with police as protesters try to storm Georgian

Georgia

Georgian opposition gives government 16 December ‘deadline’

by OC Media

•5 min read

Leaders and supporters of the United National Movement-led opposition coalition gathered in central Tbilisi on Sunday demanding the government negotiate with the opposition before the president-elect’s inauguration day. At the demonstration in front of Tbilisi’s parliament building, presidential runner-up Grigol Vashadze reiterated he would not concede the election, making it clear that the United Opposition Coalition that he ran under did not plan to recognise Salome Zurabishvili’s vict

Bidzina Ivanishvili

Georgia’s first female president

by Dato Parulava

•9 min read

Salome Zurabishvili has been elected the 5th president of Georgia in 28 November’s presidential runoff, winning 60% of votes according to preliminary results. Her win is historic, given that she is the first woman to run and succeed in the marathon for the presidential seat. Constantly emphasising her European origins, she has promised to help Georgia integrate into NATO and the EU and as she likes to say, ‘bring Georgian society together’. Her victory did not come as a surprise to most

2018 Georgian Presidential Elections

Analysis | How negative campaigns and party voter contact work in Georgia

by CRRC

•3 min read

CRRC-Georgia examines how effective negative campaign tactics and contact with voters is for political parties in Georgia. On Wednesday, Georgians head to the polls in the country’s first ever presidential run-off and last ever direct presidential election. The elections are taking place on an uneven playing field, with the head of the Georgian Dream party’s charitable foundation promising to write off the debt of over 600,000 people, roughly one in six eligible voters, after the elections

2018 Georgian Presidential Elections

Controversy over Georgia’s midweek presidential run-off date

by OC Media

•5 min read

Georgia’s Election Administration has set the date for the second round presidential election for 28 November — a Wednesday. The midweek date was heavily criticised by the opposition and several major civil society groups. The 28 November poll will see Salome Zurabishvili, who has been endorsed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, face off against the opposition United National Movement’s (UNM) Grigol Vashadze, running under the Strength in Unity coalition. Zurabishvili narrowly defeate