Zourabichvili Denies Merger with Two Opposition Parties

Leader of the newly created political party Georgia’s Way, ex-Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili denied Georgian media reports that her party has already merged with Konstantine Gamsakhurdia’s Freedom Party and Gia Maisashvili’s movement Government of the Future. But she also did not rule out possibility of a close cooperation with these parties.

“Koko [Konstantine] Gamsakhurdia has not made such a proposal yet, however why not. Tomorrow [March 12] our party will be inaugurated formally and we will declare there who will be inside [the party] and with whom we will cooperate,” Salome Zourabichvili told Imedi television on March 11.

At a news conference on March 11 Konstantine Gamsakhurdia also denied possible merger with Salome Zourabichvili’s party, however confirmed the readiness for cooperation with opposition parties.
 
“We welcome the coordination of the opposition forces aimed at developing a joint position on the ongoing processes in the country,” Koko Gamsakhurdia said.

Gia Maisashvili confirmed on March 11 that his movement is interested to merge with Salome Zourabichvili’s party. “We and Salome Zourabichvili understand each other well. This is the national and modern force that will help our country out of crisis,” Gia Maisashvili said.

Gia Maisashvili, who has long lived in the United States, retuned to Georgia on the eve of 2003 Rose Revolution and became by-then opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili’s close ally, but split with him shortly after the revolution.

Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, son of Georgia’s late President Zviad Gamsakhurdia lived in Switzerland since his father was ousted in 1992. He returned to Georgia after the Rose Revolution and established Freedom Party, which gained 4,4% in the 2004 parliamentary elections, which was described by analysts as a surprise.