New faction 'The Capital' adds to government opposition

A new opposition faction “The Capital” has been created at the Tbilisi City Assembly on September 28. Kakha Kukava, the co-leader of the Conservative Party, Koba Davitashvili the leader of People’s Party and Natela Machavariani the member of the Georgia’s Way shared the main priorities of their faction with the audience. The improvement of human rights and social protection mechanisms, dealing with the citizens’ communal problems, formation of the capital’s budget transparency, ensuring subordination of the elective bodies to the democratic principles through cooperation with the other factions as well as the individual oppositional representatives within the City Council were all highlighted by the new co-members.

As Koba Davitashvili the Chair of the faction said at the conference they will combine street rallies for protecting the people’s rights with working at the Assembly and dealing with various challenges without any problems. “We will be able to do more at the Assembly by establishing a faction than we had before. We will be eligible to invite the city government in order to hear the methods of solution to the problems at the special sessions,” Kakha Kukava the faction Secretary explained to the media.

The Assembly members have somewhat different approaches towards the new union. Wondering how the former partners of Zurab Nogaideli’s Movement for Fair Georgia will cooperate with Natela Machavariani, Tina Khidasheli from the Republican Party refused to join the new faction. “I’m quite skeptical towards this issue. It would be better if they had properly defined their main strategies while working at the Assembly,” Khidasheli told the media. Stressing she would like to remain an independent member Khidasheli had previously refused to join another opposition faction “Our Tbilisi” chaired by Davit Saganelidze from the New Rights.

Giorgi Tkemaladze, the Chair of the Urban Planning and Old Tbilisi Rehabilitation Commission of the Assembly approved of the establishment of the new opposition faction. “I wasn’t informed about the creation of the new union at the City Assembly. No negotiations or discussion had been held with me thus I will remain an independent member for a while, although I have a positive feeling about the issue,” Tkemaladze stated.

Inga Grigolia Chairwoman of the Christian-Democrats welcomed the establishment of the new faction. “I’m glad that a new oppositional faction was established at the City Assembly. Despite the fact that there are only 11 oppositional representatives at the Assembly I always used to stress that its quality that matters, not the quantity,” Grigolia told The Messenger stressing that the faction is a wonderful opportunity for the Assembly members to promote their ideas and introduce them to public. “We have been cooperating with all the oppositional representatives at the Assembly and I hope we will continue to doing so,” she added

The members of The Capital claim that the opposition members will manage to strengthen their authority within the Assembly by means of uniting their aims and values. The Capital has been the third oppositional faction formed at the Tbilisi City Assembly along with Our Tbilisi and the Christian-Democrats. The majority definitely remains with the United National Movement.

“I think everyone at the City Assembly has an opportunity to work in a constructive way. If the politicians think they will better promote their activities by means of creating a faction, then they have a legislative right to do so. We are absolutely ready to cooperate with any business oriented faction or independent member of the Assembly which is not only motivated to have an effective PR campaigning but aims at establishing constructive relations with the UNM,” Mamuka Akhvlediani the member of the UNM told The Messenger.