Ahali แแฎแแแ | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Nika Gvaramia Nika Melia |
| Founder | Nika Gvaramia Nika Melia |
| Founded | 11 March 2024 |
| Split from | United National Movement |
| Preceded by | State for the People[1] |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre[7] to centre-right[3] |
| National affiliation | Coalition for Change (since 2024) Opposition Alliance (since 2026) |
| Colors | Green and Orange |
| Seats in Parliament | 0 / 150 |
| Municipal Councilors | 0 / 2,058 |
| Seats In Tbilisi City Assembly | 0 / 50 |
Ahali (Georgian: แแฎแแแ, romanized: akhali; lit. 'New') is a liberal, pro-European political party in Georgia. It was founded in 2024 by Nika Melia, former chairman of the United National Movement, and Nika Gvaramia, former CEO of the Rustavi 2 TV channel and Mtavari Arkhi TV channel.[8][9] It was a part of the Coalition for Change political alliance for the 2024 parliamentary election, receiving 10 seats in the Georgian parliament.[10]
History
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Ahali was founded on 11 March 2024 by two prominent opposition figures, Nika Melia and Nika Gvaramia. Melia was the chairman of the United National Movement from 2020 to 2023, with him being expelled from the party after losing a controversial leadership race in 2023, while Gvaramia was the CEO of Rustavi 2 and Mtavari Arkhi and was the Founder of Mtavari Arkhi, a popular opposition TV channel.[8] Ahali did not register as a new party, rather, they transformed an existing State for the People party into their own. Gvaramia and Melia were registered as co-chairs of Ahali.[1]
On 5 April, Ahali, along with six other pro-Western parties, issued a joint statement condemning Georgian Dreamโs reintroduction of the Foreign Agents bill with them describing the move as a "betrayal of Georgiaโs European path".[11] The party subsequently joined the "Russian Law" protests.[12]
On 3 June, Ahali signed the Georgian Charter initiated by President Salome Zourabichvili in an attempt to consolidate the pro-Western opposition and set out their post-election manifesto.[13] Ahali, along with five other opposition parties, additionally signed the "Declaration of Unity" paper to further consolidate the opposition ahead of the 2024 parliamentary election.[14]
Since formal coalitions were banned, Ahali created an informal coalition with two parties, Girchi โ More Freedom and Droa announcing they would be fielding their candidates on Ahaliโs party list.[15] Ahali was subsequently renamed to Coalition for Change.[10] Later on, the Republican Party and the Activists for the Future movement joined the coalition.[16]
Ideology
Ahali is described as a centrist liberal party with a pro-European foreign policy.[5][2][3] Gvaramia has positioned Ahali as a "centrist party with a slight right-wing bias", with him railing against what he sees as a left-wing shift of UNM, the largest opposition party and also the party from which Ahali is a splinter off.[17]
Seats in Municipal assemblies from 2024 to 2025
| assemblies, Municipal Council | Seats |
|---|---|
| Tbilisi[18][19] | 5 / 50
|
| Signagi[20] | 2 / 36
|
| Telavi[21] | 1 / 39
|
| Kaspi[22] | 6 / 30
|
| Tsageri[23] | 3 / 30
|
| Chiatura[24] | 5 / 36
|
| Kutaisi[25] | 7 / 35
|
| Khobi[23] | 10 / 36
|
| Zugdidi[26] | 14 / 45
|
| Batumi[27] | 7 / 35
|
Electoral performance
Parliamentary election
| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/โ | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Nika Melia Nika Gvaramia |
229,161 | 11.03 | 10 / 150
|
New | 2nd | Opposition |
| Part of the Coalition for Change, which won 19 seats in total. | |||||||
References
- ^ a b "แแแแ แแแแแ แแ แแแแแแ แแแแขแ แแฃแ แญแฃแแแซแแก แแแคแฃแซแแแแฃแแ แแแ แขแแ แแแแแแคแแ แแแก". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Georgian). 16 July 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d Federico Baccini (24 April 2024). ""Georgian Dream actually is Russian dream". Strasbourg welcomes liberal pro-European opposition". EU News.
- ^ a b c d Tabatadze, Sandro (27 September 2026). "Who's Who in Georgian Party Politics? A Guide to the Party Landscape in 2026". Civil Georgia. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
- ^ [2][3]
- ^ a b c "Parties, Parliaments and Polling Averages: Georgia". Europe Elects.
- ^ [5][2][3]
- ^ [5][2]
- ^ a b "Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia Present "Ahali" Political Alliance". Civil Georgia. 11 March 2024.
- ^ "แแแแ แแแแ แแแแแ แแ แแแแ แแแแแแ "แแฎแแแ" แแแ แขแแ แจแแฅแแแแก". Radio Liberty (in Georgian). 11 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Name change for 'Akhali' party: "Coalition for Change โ Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa"". Georgia Today. 5 August 2024.
- ^ George Paniashvili (6 April 2024). "The Daily Beat: 5 April". Civil Georgia.
- ^ George Paniashvili (19 April 2024). "The Daily Beat: 18 April". Civil Georgia.
- ^ "Opposition Parties Sign Georgian Charter". Civil Georgia. 3 June 2024.
- ^ "Six Opposition Parties Sign "Declaration of Unity"". Civil Georgia. 25 June 2024.
- ^ "Ahali, Girchi-More Freedom and Droa Unite Ahead of Polls". Civil Georgia. 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Republican Party, Activists for Future join Coalition for Change". 1TV. 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Wednesday, March 13, Georgia. "The Georgian NGOs disappointed the USA," suggests the PMi, but the State Department did not say this". JAMnews. 13 March 2024.
- ^ ""แแแชแแแแแแฃแ แแแซแ แแแแแก" แขแแแแแก แแแแแแกแแก แแ แแแแแแแชแแแแแก 300-แแแ แฌแแแ แ, แแแ แจแแ แแก แกแแแ แแแฃแแแก แฌแแแ แแแ". Radio Liberty (in Georgian). 10 December 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ ""แแแแแแชแแ แชแแแแแแแแกแแแแก" - แแแฎแ แแแแแซแ แแฆแแก แกแแแ แแแฃแแแจแ แแแฃแฏแแขแก แแแกแแแขแแแชแแแแแ แฌแแ แแแแแแก, แฉแแแ แแฆแแแจแแฃแ แกแฎแแแแแก แแ แแแแแกแฌแ แแแแ, แแแ แแแแจแ แแกแฎแแแแแแ แแฎแแแแ แแแแแซแ แแ แแแกแ แฎแแแฅแแแแแแแ". InterPressNews (in Georgian). 24 December 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
- ^ ""แแแชแแแแแแฃแ แ แแแซแ แแแแ" แแแขแแแ แแแ แขแแแก 15-แแ แฌแแแ แแ แแแฎแแแจแ" (in Georgian). 7 December 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ "แแแ แแแแแแแก แกแแแ แแแฃแแแก แฌแแแ แแ แแแขแแแ". Netgazeti (in Georgian). 13 July 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ ""แแแชแแแแแแฃแ แ แแแซแ แแแแแก" แแแกแแแก แ แแแแแฃแแ แแ แแแแแแแชแแ แฌแแแ แแแแก แฃแแ แแแแแกแแแแ, แฎแแแ แแแกแแแก แกแแแ แแแฃแแแก แคแ แแฅแชแแ แแฅแแกแแ แฌแแแ แแ แแแขแแแ". 1tv.ge (in Georgian). 7 December 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ a b "แฎแแแแก แแ แชแแแแ แแก แแแ-แแก แคแ แแฅแชแแแแ แแแฃแฅแแแ โ แแแแฃแขแแขแแแ แแแ แขแแ แแฎแแแก แจแแฃแแ แแแแแ". Tabula (in Georgian). 29 March 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ "Five UNM faction members quit Chiatura Municipality Sakrebulo". 1tv.ge. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ "แฅแฃแแแแกแแก แกแแแ แแแฃแแแก แงแแคแแแ "แแแชแแแแแแ" แฌแแแ แแแ "แแฎแแแก" แฃแแ แแแแแแแ". Netgazeti (in Georgian). 28 March 2024.
- ^ "แแฃแแแแแแก แกแแแ แแแฃแแแจแ, แคแ แแฅแชแแ "แแแ" แกแแฎแแแ แจแแแชแแแแ - แแแกแ แกแแฎแแแฌแแแแแแ "แแฎแแแ"". InterPressNews (in Georgian). 4 April 2024.
- ^ "แแแแฃแแแก แกแแแ แแแฃแแแก 7-แแ แฌแแแ แแ "แแแชแแแแแแฃแ แ แแแซแ แแแแ" แแแขแแแ". Radio Liberty (in Georgian). 4 December 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
