Georgia’s imprisoned third president, Mikheil Saakashvili, has defended his decision to support television host Nanuka Zhorzholiani for the leadership of the opposition United National Movement (UNM), arguing that the party is facing a deep internal crisis and urgently needs renewal.
In a lengthy social media post, Saakashvili said the UNM “cannot fall into a worse state than it is today,” claiming that the party has lost around 70% of its regional grassroots base due to internal mistakes, defections and what he described as interference by the ruling authorities.
“The party is in a profound crisis. The UNM has lost 70% of its regional grassroots core, partly due to betrayal, interference from the regime, and also mistakes, including my own mistakes,” Saakashvili wrote.
He claimed that despite an increase in his personal approval ratings, the party’s support has stagnated, while communication between the leadership and much of the party’s core membership has broken down.
“The UNM Political Council has not convened for many months. There was absolutely no communication between the current party chair and 90% of the core leadership. The party has completely ceased to project that it is capable of changing the government,” he said.
Saakashvili explained that he had been considering Zhorzholiani’s candidacy for several months, describing her as an energetic figure with strong communication skills and the ability to reconnect the party with voters.
He said the ideal solution would have been a co-chairmanship arrangement between Zhorzholiani and current UNM chairperson Tina Bokuchava, whose strengths he said lie in public speaking and international relations.
“Tina’s strengths lie in public speaking and international relations, so a co-chairmanship would have been an ideal outcome,” Saakashvili wrote, adding that he continues to hold Bokuchava in high regard and believes she will play an important role in any future government.
The former president also reiterated his own claim to the party’s leadership, alongside imprisoned UNM figure Levan Khabeishvili, while noting that both men are unable to actively manage party affairs because they are “in captivity.”
Saakashvili stressed that party members remain free to nominate alternative candidates and called for a transparent and democratic election process.
“Let our party core make the final decision. I have only one vote. If we are to have a democracy, let it be a true democracy,” he wrote.
Concluding his statement, Saakashvili said that regardless of the outcome of the leadership contest, he would continue political activity and remain committed to opposing the current government.
“In any case, no one will ever be able to hold it against me that I did not try to save the UNM and get it back into shape. Regardless of what is decided, I will only continue the fight, and we will absolutely defeat the dictatorship,” he said.
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