UNM, European Georgia Agree to Cooperate during Presidential Polls

Two parliamentary opposition parties – the United National Movement and the European Georgia – agreed to cooperate during the upcoming presidential elections in October 2018.

The agreement was signed yesterday by UNM’s Giorgi Baramidze and EG’s Giga Bokeria, in the headquarters of the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest European-level political party of the center-right.

The sides agreed to back each other’s candidates, if one of them makes it into the second round of the upcoming presidential polls. They also agreed not to attack each other during the pre-election campaign and to mobilize voters to participate in the elections, since “elections are crucial to change the current regime.”

Joseph Daul, President of the European People’s Party, who signed the declaration on behalf of the EPP, hailed the initiative in a twitter post.

Happy to endorse the agreement of cooperation for the presidential elections in #Georgia between @UNMGeorgia and @EuropeanGeorgia pic.twitter.com/LSeU9TQWr6

— Joseph Daul (@JosephDaul) July 10, 2018

The European Georgia split from the United National Movement in early 2017, following months of intra-party dispute. The two participated separately in the municipal polls in October 2017, with UNM and EG garnering 17% and 10% of votes, respectively.

The UNM joined the European People’s Party, as an observer member in 2008. The European Georgia joined the political network in September 2017.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)