On December 7, Nika Melia, the former leader of the United National Movement (UNM), Georgia's main opposition party, officially left the party and announced the formation of his own. He said he will soon build the truest political party, on which qualification, knowledge, and vision should be built.

"In recent months, I have done everything possible to ensure that the principles I hold dear prevail in the 'National Movement.' In this corrupt political system in the country, politicians try to make immorality a political standard, a prerequisite for success. Politicians who share this standard convince each other that they will achieve more by abandoning principles than by sticking to them. Then all such politicians together try to convince the people of this," he added.

He discussed the moral need to overthrow 'Ivanishvili's regime': "Yes, I am leaving. I am moving forward to the future and leaving the past in the past. The history of Georgia will be written by the Georgian people, not by the elite that currently controls this nation."

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Lelo MP Salome Samadashvili said that Melia is a valuable politician. "Lelo will cooperate with everyone who believes that we need to defeat the Russian regime, but the future does not mean restoring the one-party rule of the National Movement party," she noted.

"Nika Melia, I think, has been an important player in the opposition field over the past few years. We remember that he repeatedly fought with great dedication for the future of this country. That's why I think he is a valuable politician; I wish him success. I can't tell you what specific plans he has for his own party. As for Lelo­'s position, it is known - our main task today is to strengthen our party; at the same time, Lel­o has always said and still says today that we are ready to cooperate with all politicians and political parties that share Lelo­'s vision, that we need to defeat the Russian regime, but the future does not mean a return to the past, that is, it does not mean the restoration of the one-party rule of the United Natio­nal Movement in the country," Lelo MP added.

EuroOptimists MP Roman Gotsiridze noted that Melia's party will be one of the serious opposition parties, a serious player is emerging who will strengthen the creation of the number one political union. According to him, Melia's move was the only correct decision. "The only way to ease this crisis was this very decision. As for the founding of the party by Nika Melia and his associates, it will be one of the serious opposition parties, and it will have the support of not only the traditional voters of the National Movement, a large number of whom are not pleased by the Natio­nal Movement in today's situation, but also of the voters who were focused on a national and liberal political force such as the National Movement at one time, but for various reasons did not want to vote for it. This also applies to a large part of the youth. Nika Melia can be the gatherer of the electorate of this type, and he is already a serious player on the opposition flank in the sense that he will strengthen the creation of the main political center, the main opposition force, the number one political bloc in the future, which will have more potential than the Natio­nal Movement has today. In such a case, a change of government is possible," Gotsiridze stated. When asked whether he and Khatia Dekanoidze may be seen together with Nika Melia, Gotsiridze answered that he sees himself as part of the main opposition center, however, no one knows what will happen in the future, and they have not discussed it with Nika Melia.

National Movement MP Levan Bezhashvili stated that nothing new had happened; the election headquarters of one candidate left the National Movement party. According to Bezhashvili, during the last 12 years, such facts had occurred in the National Movement in several stages, and not a single such separate exit has ever had any consequences. "Society saw the logical end of the 8-9 month campaign conducted by the election headquarters of one of the candidates who lost in the elections. All this time, a hidden campaign was going against the National Movement. Their strategy was already known - everything was done to cause maximum damage to the party and then leave and create a new party. Therefore, nothing new has happened to the public. The National Movement gets even stronger after such facts. I am sure that under the leadership and guidance of Mikheil Saakashvili, the Natio­nal Movement will create a winning coalition. The door to victory is open to everyone," Bezhashvili concluded.