United National Movement

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United National Movement (Georgian: ერთიანი ნაციონალური მოძრაობა , Ertiani Nazionaluri Modsraoba, ENM) is the largest political organisation and current governing party in Georgia

UNM was founded in October 2001 by Mikhail Saakashvili. It is a center-right party which favours radical reform of the Georgian state and closer ties with the NATO and European Union, as well as the restoration of Tbilisi's control over the de facto separatist self-proclaimed states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Leaders of UNM label themselves as a liberal party and most of its members in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group. Secretary General of NM–D Giorgi Arveladze, is vice-president of ALDE. UNM aims to promote liberal democracy as the best form of representative democracy. Its' ideology combines political, economic and cultural liberalism with inclusive or civic nationalism, as opposed to ethnic nationalism. Its main political priorities also include improving social services to the poor, the movement's main base of support; fighting corruption and reducing administrative barriers for doing business; providing equal opportunities for every citizen.

Saakashvili and other Georgian opposition leaders formed a "United People's Alliance" in November 2003 to bring together the United National Movement, the United Democrats, the Union of National Solidarity and the youth movement "Kmara" in a loose alliance against the government of President Eduard Shevardnadze.

The United National Movement and its partners in the opposition played a central role in the November 2003 political crisis that ended in the forced resignation of President Shevardnadze. The opposition parties strongly contested the outcome of the November 2, 2003 parliamentary elections, which local and international observers criticised for numerous irregularities. After the fall of Shevardnadze, the party joined forces with the United Democrats and the Union of National Solidarity to promote Saakashvili as the principal opposition candidate in the presidential elections of January 4, 2004, which he won by an overwhelming majority. Fresh elections are planned for March 28, 2004 following the annulment of the November parliamentary elections.

The United National Movement and the United Democrats had amalgamated on February 5, 2004. After amalgamation party ratained it's old name, but UNM's parliamentary faction is called National Movement-Democrats

[edit] Further reading

Ghia Nodia, Álvaro Pinto Scholtbach: The Political Landscape of Georgia: Political Parties: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects. Eburon, Delft 2006, ISBN 90-5972-113-6