Ruling Party Official in Adjara Quits National Movement

Davit Batsikadze, one of the leading officials of the ruling National Movement party in the Adjara Autonomous Republic, quit his party on February 25 ? just one day after a group of National Movement party activists in Adjara announced that they withdraw thier party membership.

Davit Batsikadze, who was the Deputy Chairman of the National Movement?s parliamentary faction in Adjara?s legislative body – the Supreme Council, cited disagreements with the Autonomous Republic?s leadership as the reason behind his resignation.

On February 24 several members of National Movement?s youth organization in Adjara announced that they were quitting the party. However, top leadership from the National Movement in Tbilisi, MP Giorgi Arveladze in particular, downplayed this incident by saying that those persons involved were never even registered as members of the party.

?This kind of reaction [from the party leadership] is really inadmissible,? Davit Batsikadze said.