Ahali

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| alt1 = Nika Gvaramia in 2022

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Ahali was founded on 11 March 2024 by two prominent opposition figures , Nika Melia and Nika Gvaramia. Melia was the chairman of the United National Movement from 2020 to 2023, with him being expelled from the party after losing a controversial leadership race in 2023, while Gvaramia was the CEO of Rustavi 2 and Mtavari Arkhi and was the Founder of Mtavari Arkhi, a popular opposition TV channel.{{cite web |url=https://civil.ge/archives/586462 |title=Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia Present “Ahali” Political Alliance |publisher=Civil Georgia |date=11 March 2024 }} Ahali did not register as a new party, rather, they transformed an existing State for the People party into their own. Gvaramia and Melia were registered as co-chairs of Ahali.{{cite web |url=https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/33038196.html |title=გვარამიამ და მელიამ პაატა ბურჭულაძის დაფუძნებული პარტია გადაიფორმეს |publisher=Radio Tavisufleba |date=16 July 2024 }}

On 5 April, Ahali, along with six other pro-Western parties, issued a joint statement condemning Georgian Dream’s reintroduction of the Foreign Agents bill with them describing the move as a "betrayal of Georgia’s European path".{{cite web |url=https://civil.ge/archives/590519 |title=The Daily Beat: 5 April |publisher=Civil Georgia |date=6 April 2024 |author=George Paniashvili }} The party subsequently joined the "Russian Law" protests.{{cite web |url=https://civil.ge/archives/600208 |title=The Daily Beat: 18 April |publisher=Civil Georgia |date=19 April 2024 |author=George Paniashvili }}

On 3 June, Ahali signed the Georgian Charter initiated by President Salome Zourabichvili in an attempt to consolidate the pro-Western opposition and set out their post-election manifesto.{{cite web |url=https://civil.ge/archives/611114 |title=Opposition Parties Sign Georgian Charter |publisher=Civil Georgia |date=3 June 2024 }} Ahali, along with five other opposition parties, additionally signed the "Declaration of Unity" paper to further consolidate the opposition ahead of the 2024 parliamentary election.{{cite web |url=https://civil.ge/archives/613987 |title=Six Opposition Parties Sign “Declaration of Unity” |publisher=Civil Georgia |date=25 June 2024 }}

Since formal coalitions were banned, Ahali created an informal coalition with two parties , Girchi – More Freedom and Droa announcing they would be fielding their candidates on Ahali’s party list.{{cite web |url=https://civil.ge/archives/615707 |title=Ahali, Girchi-More Freedom and Droa Unite Ahead of Polls |publisher=Civil Georgia |date=9 July 2024 }} Ahali was subsequently renamed to Coalition for Change.{{cite web |url=https://georgiatoday.ge/name-of-akhali-party-determined-as-coalition-for-change-gvaramia-melia-girchi-droa/ |title=Name change for ‘Akhali’ party: “Coalition for Change – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa” |publisher=Georgia Today |date=5 August 2024 }} Later on, the Republican Party and the Activists for the Future movement joined the coalition.{{cite web |url=https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/republican-party-activists-for-future-join-coalition-for-change/ |title=Republican Party, Activists for Future join Coalition for Change |publisher=1TV |date=18 August 2024 }}

Ahali is described as a centrist liberal party with a pro-European foreign policy. Gvaramia has positioned Ahali as a "centrist party with a slight right-wing bias", with him railing against what he sees as a left-wing shift of UNM, the largest opposition party and also the party from which Ahali is a splinter off.{{cite web |url=https://jam-news.net/latest-news-in-azerbaijan-armenia-georgia-media-in-the-south-caucasus/ |title=Wednesday, March 13, Georgia. "The Georgian NGOs disappointed the USA," suggests the PMi, but the State Department did not say this |publisher=JAM News |date=13 March 2024 }}

{{Georgian political parties}}

Category:2024 establishments in Georgia (country)

Category:Political parties established in 2024

Category:Pro-European political parties in Georgia (country)