Manipulating the quorum and collecting signatures post factum and claiming that the quorum was made up of people who were not physically present at the meeting and were connected remotely very much resembles those “Kotsi” methods with which Ivanishvili has been operating for the past 14 years — in the fight against the “Kotsis” we cannot become like the “Kotsis”! — this is what the chairperson of the “United National Movement,” Tina Bokuchava, stated on the air of “TV Pirveli” regarding the meeting of the party’s Political Council, which she herself did not attend.

According to Tina Bokuchava’s information, about 40 members attended the meeting of the party’s Political Council, which among other things determined the date of the congress, while the Political Council consists of 130 people. Accordingly, Bokuchava considers that the meeting was unauthorized.

“Until the holding of the congress, I am performing the duties of the chairperson of the ‘United National Movement’ party. Apart from the fact that I myself was not attending yesterday’s meeting of the Political Council, not a single deputy chairperson was attending it, important regional leaders were also not present, and what is even more alarming, about 40 people were present at yesterday’s meeting, which means that this meeting was not authorized at all, because the Political Council of the ‘United National Movement’ consists of 130 people. There must be a quorum for the meeting to be authorized to make decisions, including to set the date of the congress and to determine the corresponding delegates and to establish all those procedures that are necessary for the congress to be convened in accordance with all the rules and the law. If the congress is convened on the basis of an illegitimate Political Council meeting, this puts the party before very great challenges and a very great threat. Manipulating the quorum and collecting signatures post factum and claiming that the quorum was made up of people who were not physically present at the meeting and were connected remotely very much resembles those ‘Kotsi’ methods with which Ivanishvili has been operating for the past 14 years.

Petre Tsiskarishvili received an assignment from President Saakashvili that the congress be held as soon as possible in order for those changes to be implemented that he has planned, and this is for him to decide. I have always said and I will repeat again now that this is Misha’s party, it has always been Misha’s party and it will always be Misha’s party, therefore he has the full legitimate right to carry out those changes that he wants, but in this case if he gave such an assignment and order to set the congress, at the very least the main responsible person should have ensured that this happened in accordance with the rules, order and law, and not at the expense of forged signatures. I am saying something elementary: in the fight against the ‘Kotsis’ we cannot become like the ‘Kotsis,’” Tina Bokuchava stated.

As for whether Tina Bokuchava will attend the party’s congress, which is scheduled for August 5, Tina Bokuchava noted that this depends on the removal of the existing question marks, regarding which, according to her, she had communication with the party’s general secretary Petre Tsiskarishvili.

“Naturally, I cannot take part in any kind of falsification now,” Tina Bokuchava stated.

For information, the meeting of the Political Council of the “National Movement” was held on July 30 and determined August 5 as the date for holding the congress.