“For many years, Saakashvili’s jealousy toward me has been choking him like a noose around his neck. For Saakashvili, lying and shamelessness are something ordinary — without them, he no longer exists,” reads a statement by one of the leaders of the “Coalition for Change,” Nika Melia.

According to Melia, wherever Mikheil Saakashvili is involved, there is no national interest — only personal selfish interest.

“He has once again spread a slanderous letter full of lies to soothe himself and ease his frustrations: ‘Melia broke up the rally demanding my release and sent people home!’

Only someone who knows the truth dares to lie — and that is exactly Saakashvili’s case. For Saakashvili, lying and shamelessness are ordinary; without them he no longer exists. Still, perhaps he will gather the strength to tell the truth himself about the gravest mistakes and human weaknesses he demonstrated throughout 2022. And when I speak of mistakes and human weakness, I actually mean the gravest moral and political steps he took.

Let him also speak about the man he refuses to name and the issues on which he cooperated with him throughout 2022.

Why was ‘that man’ his envoy to the government in 2022? Meaning during the time he was in Vivamedi as well! Through this man, what deal was made with the government, and how was Saakashvili deceived at the end of 2022? The public will eventually learn these very serious details, along with concrete facts, and it would be better if he himself named that man and his partners.

Even after returning to Georgia, Saakashvili remained in active contact with ‘that man’ for many months. ‘That man’ was Saakashvili’s communicator with the government.

Saakashvili’s endless mudslinging and his periodic claims of betrayal against him serve only one purpose: to cover up the specific story of entering into negotiations with the government in exchange for being allowed to leave the country — something that clearly troubles him deeply today.

He has a fear and a complex regarding the exposure of that difficult chapter. Fear forces people to lie. That is why he behaves so immorally and irrationally that even the devil could lose his footing. The heavy moral, ethical, and political baggage of 2021–2022 still hangs on Saakashvili’s back like a sack, even when he no longer notices its existence.

Saakashvili loves betrayal, but hates the betrayer whom he refuses to name!

Unlike Saakashvili, I know the value of my word and I do not change my position seven times a week. I already said in my previous letter that if he continued spreading poison, it would no longer go unanswered. For five years I did not speak publicly on this issue. He was in Vivamedi, and I was already free; I never gave myself the moral right to do so. Yet if he were in my place, he would have spoken a hundred times over. But now, when one prisoner throws mud at another with the precision of a prewritten monthly schedule, and I see the poverty of his spirit exposed, my silence is no longer appropriate. I can no longer help him package his complexes into false accusations, which each time pours water onto the regime’s mill.

I know he is obsessively in love with himself; it is also clear that he is constantly tormented by suspicion and consumed only with concern for his own ego. But it is worth noting that when someone’s dignity and honor are violated, and a slanderer tries to normalize and enjoy such behavior, it inevitably ends badly. Therefore, in this letter I am revealing a position I long kept secret, which explains the eruptions of his bitterness. Unfortunately for him, he once again snapped the rope in the wrong place.

I mentioned 2021–2022. As for his return to Georgia before the local elections: it was his uncontrollable jealousy that forced him to return.

In addition, ‘that man’ and others were telling Saakashvili that if he did not return to Georgia, Melia would take the party away from him. But he was already consumed by that phobia…

This was intensified by the then unprecedented opposition unity, which greatly deepened his jealousy.

He also saw that the party had gained a major donor, something I did not hide from the public, and naturally he learned about it too.

His contribution to that exemplary opposition unity and to financing the 2021 election campaign was zero, and against that background his jealousy peaked. As a result, he committed a political ‘somersault,’ bringing ruin upon himself and turning a unique and highly promising political process into ashes. After that, he took the hidden steps I already mentioned, details of which the public will inevitably learn.

One more thing: in 2021 [May–June], a closed sociological survey was conducted. This was around the time when Mamuka Khazaradze and I were searching for a joint opposition candidate for Tbilisi mayor. I had already been released from prison.

We tried very hard, but there was little time and we could not reach agreements with interesting candidates. Therefore, the opposition tactically united completely in the runoff elections, and Mamuka’s contribution here was very important. My relationship and coordination with Mamuka disturbed Saakashvili even more.

To return to the survey: it showed that the then United National Movement had many new voters for whom Saakashvili was not the determining factor. Nationwide, his factor was important only for 52% of the party’s voters. This reality further destabilized him out of jealousy.

Who knows how many times I argued with myself over whether I should have told you all this much earlier, even in small doses. Or whether it was right not to respond to baseless accusations. Either way, until today I restrained myself. There will be much more to discuss with you…

I strongly believe in the country’s success and in the defeat of the government that has turned itself into an instrument of oppression against its own people — both active oppression [arrests, fines, violence] and passive oppression [impoverishment]. I believe that rays of light will return to the seemingly lifeless eyes of discouraged and thoughtful people, and that every defeat experienced so far will transform into one great source of strength.

However, I owe it to these people to say that change in Georgian Dream can never be built on falsehood, deceit, treachery, and attempts to portray betrayal as virtue.

I would have to abandon common sense not to admit that in this life we learn everything through experience. Therefore, do not ask me to remain united with a man whom I know from experience to stab people in the back, no matter how respected the people may be on one platform or another — whether today or tomorrow.

Wherever Saakashvili is, there is no national interest; there is only private selfish interest. Being an enemy of Bidzina Ivanishvili does not mean I must be Saakashvili’s partner. The future will show the rest. Goodbye for now, and strength to everyone!” Melia wrote.