Georgia's ruling party loses three leading MPs in surprise departure

Three members of the Georgian parliament (MP) - Dimitri Khundadze, Sozar Subari, and Mikheil Kavelashvili, who were serving as committee chairmen, have said that they were leaving the ruling Georgian Dream party and would continue to work in the legislature as non-partisan parliamentarians.

“We have no disagreements with the leaders and members of the Georgian Dream, except for one question - how much to present the truth to society and whether the society should be more informed,” Interfax quotes Khundadze as saying.

He noted that many topical issues are considered in the Georgian Dream behind the scenes, and the MPs who left the ruling party will inform the population about these issues on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, MP Subari said that Georgia is more likely to be drawn into a war with Russia.

“There are many people who want to draw Georgia into the war, and among them are very influential people. Once the gun fires, you are no longer in control. Today, the guarantee that Georgia will not join the war is the people, and they must know the truth,” Subari said.

The decision of the MPs to leave the "Georgian Dream" came as a surprise not only to the leaders of the ruling party but also to representatives of the opposition.

Meanwhile, Georgian Dream parliamentary faction will still be holding the majority of the parliamentary seats with 81 MPs despite the departure of Khundadze, Subari, and Kavelashvili.