Nika Gvaramia, co-founder of the opposition Ahali party and a key figure in the Coalition for Change, announced that he will not be on the Coalition’s candidate list, pledging to make room for “the new people.”
“I will not be on the list of [MP] candidates for the elections,” Gvaramia said during a special briefing on September 25. He stressed, “I remain the leader of the campaign, I remain the leader of the coalition, and I remain the leader of the Ahali Party. However, I want the path to Parliament open for new people.”
Gvaramia stressed that this was a personal decision but urged leaders of other parties to follow suit. At this stage, it is unclear whether other Coalition for Change leaders—Nika Melia of Ahali, Zura Japaridze of Girchi-More Freedom, and Elene Khoshtaria of Droa—will be on the ballot. The list will be made public tomorrow, September 26.
“Our main goal is not to take Bidzina Ivanishvili’s place,” said Gvaramia, “For us, it is crucial that Ivanishvili, with his Russian orientation, gets out and allows the government to be taken over by people who won’t be swayed by propaganda.”
Gvaramia also emphasized that he does not intend to join the government or be a contender for Prime Minister’s position. He stressed that the Coalition for Change is committed to the President’s Georgian Charter, which stipulates that the future Prime Minister must be a non-partisan candidate.
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- 11/03/2024 – Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia Present “Ahali” Political Alliance