TV Anchor Leaves Rustavi 2 to Run Tbilisi Mayoral Race

Zaal Udumashvili, famous television anchor and Deputy Director General of Georgia’s opposition-inclined Rustavi 2 TV, announced on Monday that he will quit television in order to participate in Tbilisi Mayoral elections as a candidate of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party.

During his last report Udumashvili said goodbye to his colleges and viewers and announced that he is going into politics.

“I am ending my 25-year-old TV career. From now on the TV screen will no longer be between us. I made a decision and I am going into politics,” he said.

The former journalist added that his aim is to defeat the total disorder and one man rule of the country, referring to tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is the ex-prime minister and establisher of the Georgian Dream (GD) ruling party.

He also said that he has vast experience in fighting against injustice, while being at Rustavi 2.

“I have already won an unequal fight with this government together with the Rustavi 2 team and you, but the country has a major fight ahead and I am going to win once again. This time we will defeat Ivanishvili's corrupt and anti-democratic regime,” Udumashvili stated at the end of the news program Kurieri.

Around two weeks ago, after receiving an offer from the UNM, Udumashvili went to Ukraine to meet former President and establisher of the UNM Mikheil Saakashvili and other National Movement leaders who are in exile there.

By Thea Morrison