Ruling Party Members at Odds over Adjara Elections

Four members of the Interim Council of Adjara, which was set up by President Saakashvili to run the Autonomous Republic before the snap local elections in the region, quitted their posts on May 31.

MP Tamaz Diasamidze of ruling National Movement-Democrats party, as well as Elguja Makaradze, Eduard Putkaradze and Murman Dumbadze expressed protest regarding the decision of the Interim Council, which prohibits running for the local legislative body in case the candidate is simultaneously the member of the Georgian Parliament.

As a result MP Tamaz Diasamidze will not be able to run for the Adjarian legislative body. Otherwise he has to quit the Georgian Parliament.

“This decision was taken by the Secretary of the National Movement-Democrats [ruling party] MP Giorgi Arveladze and this decision was directed personally against me in order to prevent my participation in the Adjarian elections,” MP Tamaz Diasamidze said on May 31.

The Republican Party, which forms a coalition with National Movement-Democrats in the Georgian Parliament, also protested against the decision.

Leader of the Republican Party MP Davit Berdzenishvili has already given up plans to run in the Batumi single-mandate constituency, as he is the member of the Georgian Parliament as well.

“This was absolutely inadmissible decision and aimed against the Republican Party, as we are quite popular in Adjara, but it seems that certain persons in the National Movement party do not want the Republicans to succeed in upcoming polls,” MP Davit Berdzenishvili, the leader of the Republican Party told Civil Georgia.

Despite the fact that National Movement and Republican parties form a coalition, the latter refused to form a bloc with the National Movement and decided to run in the Adjarian elections independently.