Altercation between Nika Melia (left) and Irakli Kobakhidze at the EU office in Tbilisi. (Ambebi.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s ruling party, GD, criticizes EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell for being too timid in his criticism of the leader of the opposition party UNM Nika Melia after a verbal confrontation outside the EU office in Tbilisi on Thursday. Melia approached [...]
Nika Melia. (1tv.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--The largest opposition party’s candidate for Tbilisi mayor has lost his seat in the Georgian parliament. Nika Melia, leader of the largest opposition party United National Movement (UNM), asked for the revocation himself in July, after the ruling party abandoned the EU mediated compromise agreement negotiated by European Council President Charles Michel. [...]
UNM candidate for Tbilisi mayor, Nika Melia (left), and UNM candidate for city assembly chair, Elene Khoshtaria. TBILISI, DFWatch--The largest opposition party in Georgia, the United National Movement, on Friday nominated party chairman Nika Melia as its candidate for Tbilisi Mayor in the local elections in October. But Melia has so far failed to secure broad [...]
(Facebook/გახარია.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said on Monday that he has not left politics, without further explanation, leaving people guessing as to what he might have meant. "I am not leaving anything, not even politics," Giorgi Gakharia wrote on his Facebook page on Monday. But when asked by reporters, he did not explain [...]
Irakli Garibashvili meeting with Josep Borrell, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. (Facebook/Government of Georgia.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgia’s prime minister on Tuesday rejected the two main demands put forth by the opposition, thus prolonging the country’s four and a half months long political crisis. "The next parliamentary elections will be held in 2024," Prime [...]
Nika Melia during his arrest Tuesday morning. (PIA.) EDITORIAL When parliament nominated hardliner candidate Irakli Gharibashvili as prime minister, he dedicated his speech not to defeating the pandemic, not to the economy, occupation or social problems, but to fighting political opposition. After Melia's arrest, the newly appointed PM thanked the police for their “successful operation”. Similar [...]
Opposition supporters rallied in front of the government office in Tbilisi. (Newposts.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--A police raid of the headquarters of Georgia’s largest opposition party and the arrest of its leader Tuesday morning has further deepened the political crisis in the country. Nika Melia, leader of the United National Movement, was dragged out of the party building [...]
Irakli Garibashvili speaking at Georgian Dream headquarters during his nomination. TBILISI, DFWatch--The opposition in Georgia breathed a sigh of relief Thursday, as Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced his resignation and the MInistry of Internal Affairs postponed the arrest of Nika Melia, leader of the largest opposition party in the country, UNM. Opposition leaders had spent the [...]
Nika Melia, surrounded by opposition politicians, speaking to journalists at the UNM office after court ruling. (Timer.ge) TBILISI, DFWatch--Five out of eight opposition parties and blocks which passed one percent barrier in 2020 parliamentary election - UNM, European Georgia, Lelo, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, Labour Party - voice their support for and pledge to defend UNM’s Nika Melia [...]
Nika Melia talking with supporters at an opposition rally in Tbilisi, Novermber, 2020. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch--The leader of Georgia’s main opposition party faces imprisonment after participating in a protest in 2019. The prosecutor's office asked parliament on Friday to strip Nika Melia of his immunity as a member of parliament. If parliament agrees - and that [...]
A police officer puts an electronic bracelet on Nika Melia. (1tv.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Authorities are pursuing criminal charges against several high-profile opposition figures after the June 21-22 uprising in the center of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. Spokespersons for two major opposition parties, United National Movement (UNM) and European Georgia, claim they are being targeted for [...]
Zaal Udumashvili launched his bid for the mayor post on Monday. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s main opposition party is hoping that a popular news anchor will bring it back to power in the politically important position of Tbilisi mayor. The nomination of Zaal Udumashvili, host of the main news program on Georgia’s largest TV channel Rustavi 2, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A demonstration in front of Tbilisi City Hall on Monday turned violent when activists for the United National Movement (UNM) tried to break into City Hall in order to meet Mayor Davit Narmania. Thirteen members of the opposition supporters were […]
UNM’s Nika Melia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Activists from Georgia’s former ruling party are rallying in Tbilisi on February 10 in order to prevent the Supreme Court from ruling against the top people in the largest opposition TV station. UNM’s Nika Melia said on Wednesday that the party of ex-President […]
Davit Narmania, Georgian Dream candidate for Tbilisi mayor. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The candidates for Tbilisi mayor are facing off in a televised debate now at 8 PM local time. Davit Narmania from the government coalition has as his main election promise to build a youth center in Tbilisi, while his competitor Nikanor Melia […]
Georgian Dream candidate for Tbilisi mayor, Davit Narmania. (Photo published by Georgian Dream.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One week before the run-off election for Tbilisi mayor, candidates are showering the electorate with promises, though the major issue in the campaign, whether to have direct debates between candidates, is still undecided. The government […]
Davit Narmania from Georgian Dream can be reasonably confident he will become Tbilisi mayor. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–48 percent of Georgians would vote for the Georgian Dream coalition if there were local elections tomorrow, a new polls shows. This the second part of a wider survey published by National Democratic Institute (NDI) on Thursday, contains the party […]
Nika (Nikoloz) Melia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–In Georgia, the out-of-power National Movement party has designated its candidate for Tbilisi mayor by direct appointment. Nika Melia, a relatively unknown former official in the capital, was directly appointed, as the party chose not to conducted a […]
