Ex-pres Margvelashvili to meet imprisoned Saakashvili today

Georgia’s fourth president Giorgi Margvelashvili is scheduled to meet with imprisoned third president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili in Gori military hospital later today. 

The meeting is in response to the recent initiative of President Salome Zurabishvili which aims to make peace between the current and former authorities of Georgia. 

Saakashvili, who was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1 of this year after eight years in political exile, also says that the ‘national agreement and reconciliation is in everyone’s interests.’

However, he calls on his supporters to take all measures, including a mass hunger-strike, to essure his release from prison. Saakashvili was convicted in absentia in Georgia back in 2018 for abuse of power and was sentenced to six years in prison. He has also been charged with five other offenses. 

Saakashvili claims that the major goal of his return was to remove the Georgian Dream from power. 

The ruling party says that ‘no reconciliation’ is possible until Saakashvili and the UNM admit to the ‘serious crimes they committed while in office and then leave politics.’ 

Both Margvelashvili and Zurabishvilu were elected to the post with the support of the ruling party. 

However, shortly after taking the post, relations between the Georgian Dream and Margvelashvili got tense. 

Margvelashvili refused to run for presidency for the second tenure.