Georgia’s ruling party official says opposition in decline due to Saakashvili’s influence

Levan Machavariani, the First Deputy Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream parliamentary faction, on Tuesday commented on internal divisions within the United National Movement, saying the opposition was in decline due to imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and other figures whom he described as representing an opposition controlled by foreign forces.

“The opposition is in a state of decline because of Saakashvili and other figures who represent the opposition as a whole, which is acting on behalf of foreign forces. They have been completely exposed, and their approval ratings are very close to zero. Their own voters have become convinced that they are entirely controlled from abroad”, Machavariani said.

The divisions within the United National Movement follow Tina Bokuchava’s accusation that Saakashvili had lied.

The dispute was triggered by a social media post in which the imprisoned former president claimed that American and European experts had identified Saakashvili as the opposition’s only means of survival.