Georgia’s Burchuladze Forms Coalition with 3 Pro-Western Parties

TBILISI - Former opera singer-turned-politician Paata Burchuladze’s State for the People party has merged with three other opposition parties to form the State for the People Movement, Burchuladze announced Thursday.

The bloc includes the New Political Center Girchi, New Rights Party and New Georgia all of whom made the decision after the four parties decided to create a broader union of “pro-Western political forces”.

Several members of Burchuladze’s party were against the creation of a coalition, with 10 State for the People officials from Batumi and two others based in Tbilisi quit the party.

“I call on our party members to leave it if they disagree with where the party is headed,” Burchuladze said.

He went on to say the new staunchly pro-Western coalition has a fair chance of winning several seats in parliament in the upcoming October 8 elections.

“We promise that we will change people’s lives for the better just as soon as we come into government,” Burchuladze said at a press conference.

“The reason of our unification is that our visions on main challenges coincided,” said Girchi party Chairman Zurab Japaridze.

Party of Georgia leader Vashadze, who left the opposition United National Movement (UNM) in May, said he decided to join the bloc because he wants to win.

Burchuladze’s party is currently polling third behind the ruling Georgian Dream and United National Movement. 

By Thea Morrison

Edited by Nicholas Waller