David Gamkrelidze - New Rights Party

New Rights Party

On June 15, 2001 on the basis of the “New Faction”, New Movement and Georgian Neo-Conservative Party, a political party was created. The party was called the New Rights of Georgia. The founding congress elected David Gamkrelidze as its co-chairman.

In a year since its founding, the New Rights reached very high results for a party which was only a year’s old. On June 2, 2002 the New Rights won the first place in the local elections all across Georgia, and the third place on Tbilisi level. David Gamkrelidze contributed significantly to the success of the party. He personally headed the party’s election campaign. After winning the local elections, the party began to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

In September, 2002 David Gamkrelidze and his colleagues submitted to the Parliament of Georgia a decree regarding Georgia’s accession to NATO as a foreign policy priority, declaration was unanimously adopted. This was the first open statement about Georgia’s willingness to join NATO.

On June 27, 2003 at the Party 2nd Congress David Gamkrelidze was unanimously elected as chairman and leader.

The results of the parliamentary elections of November 2, 2003, in which the New Rights overcame the 7-percent threshold, were abolished. New general elections were called. There was very little time left before the March 28, 2004 elections. The revolutionary sentiments were gaining momentum. Therefore, everyone inside and outside of the country was sure that none of the opposition parties would be able to succeed. From the so-called non-revolutionary parties, only the New Rights were able to overcome the 7-percent barrier. They made a coalition with another party of centre-right orientation, the Industrials and consequently successfully overcame the 7-percent threshold. David Gamkrelidze was in charge of the Industrial’s and New Right’s election campaign on March 28, 2004 as well.

In April, 2004 David Gamkrelidze became member of the Parliament second time.

Currently, he is heading the Right Opposition Group; he is also member of the Defence and Security Committee as well as member of the Delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly. His opinion, as one of the most successful opposition leaders, is widely taken into account in the Western political circles.

On June 3, 2006 David Gamkrelidze was re-elected as the New Rights Party chairman at the 3rd Party Congress.