Mikheil Saakashvili, the third president of Georgia, has proposed a large-scale reform of the “National Movement” party and the creation of a new body—the “Council of Reformers.” According to him, this council should serve not only as an internal party structure but also as an open public platform welcoming not only party members, but also other specialists, public figures, and supporters of change.
Saakashvili stated that he is ready to head the “Council of Reformers” and proposed considering TV host Nanuka Zhorzholiani for the position of executive secretary. According to him, she would serve as his primary link to the Council’s members.
The former president also stated that the party is entering a transition period: a congress is planned for the end of July to elect a temporary governing body. Additionally, the position of party leader Levan Khabeishvili should be maintained until his release from custody, Saakashvili added.
The imprisoned politician noted that the main task of the new council is to revitalize the party, attract new faces, and create a more modern, decentralized structure. Saakashvili emphasized that special attention must be paid to the youth, giving them more opportunities to participate in politics.
“This structure must also be adapted to the potential threat of a formal ban on the party. It is one thing when a movement has several offices that are easy for a dictatorship to close, or a few officials who can be isolated. It is quite another when it is a completely decentralized movement, so widely branched and deeply rooted that it becomes virtually impossible to destroy.
When the home of every member, activist, and supporter becomes an individual, autonomously functioning office. When the detention of any single leader virtually loses its meaning because everyone becomes a leader,” — he noted.
Saakashvili announced that in the autumn, the “Council of Reformers” will present a plan for further changes, which will include new principles of party governance, greater involvement of members and supporters in decision-making, and a change in the funding model.
He stated that the revitalized movement should focus not on competition within the opposition, but on the struggle to “return the country to the path of reform.”
