**National Movement Leaves Resistance Platform Amid Tensions with Salome Zurabishvili**
The National Movement, a major opposition party in Georgia, has decided to leave the “platform of resistance” formed around President Salome Zurabishvili. The decision comes after tensions between the party and the president escalated over her refusal to pardon former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
According to Tina Bokuchava, chairwoman of the National Movement, Salome Zurabishvili’s speech at a rally on March 31 did not bring any new developments or surprises. Bokuchava stated that the party was disappointed by the president’s failure to pardon Saakashvili, which they saw as a personal decision rather than one based on principle.
“This was her exclusive right, which no one could dispute,” Bokuchava said in an interview with PalitraNews. “However, this distance between us and President Salome Zurabishvili has grown significantly.”
The tensions between the National Movement and the president have been building for some time. The party had previously been part of a broader platform of opposition forces united against the government. However, with the National Movement’s departure, it is unclear whether this coalition will remain intact.
**Coordination or Chaos?**
Bokuchava also spoke about the temporary investigative commission of parliament and the visit of Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the Gakharia for Georgia party, to the commission. The opposition parties had unanimously agreed that no politician would appear in the commission, but Gakharia’s decision to attend highlighted a lack of coordination among the opposition forces.
“For almost 5 months, I was part of the format that gathered around Salome Zurabishvili,” Bokuchava said. “In the internal political part, the only decision that the political parties agreed on was that no politician would come to the Tsulukiani treason commission, and Giorgi Gakharia violated this agreement.”
**Gakharia’s Actions Raise Questions**
Bokuchava questioned whether Gakharia’s party can be considered a genuine opposition force, citing his inability to answer key questions during his appearance at the commission.
“Some people assessed that he appeared precisely because he was afraid of being arrested later,” Bokuchava said. “The only question that really existed was ‘who gave the order on June 20.’ He himself denied what he had been claiming for so many years to create the image of a ‘superpower’ minister.”
These comments suggest that the opposition forces in Georgia may still be struggling to present a unified front against the government, and that tensions between individual parties could continue to escalate.
