Leader of the New Rights Party, Davit Gamkrelidze, 43, often boasts with what he calls, “consistency to political principles.”

 

Although in early 90s he set up a Christian Democratic movement, Gamkrelidze became more known as a founder of the first insurance company in Georgia, Aldagi. Bank of Georgia bought 100% of shares into Aldagi in late 2007 for USD 7.6 million.

 

Gamkrelidze became the member of the parliament in 1999 on the then ruling Citizens Union party ticket. A year later, however, Gamkrelidze and some of his co-thinkers, including Levan Gachechiladze, who is now a presidential candidate, split with the ruling party and established the New Rights Party. Gamkrelidze, along with Gachechiladze, was elected as co-chairman of the party.

 

After the November, 2003 parliamentary elections Davit Gamkrelidze rejected to join then opposition’s protest rallies, led by Mikheil Saakashvili, and refused to support the Rose Revolution, that became a reason for Levan Gachechelidze’s decision to quit the party. In the repeat parliamentary elections in March, 2004, the New Rights formed a coalition with the Industrialists Party and secured few seats in the Parliament.

 

Gamkrelidze again refused to support protest rallies organized by the ten opposition parties on November 2-7. He said that he was against of, what he called, “revolutionary way of changing government.” He, however, strongly condemned the authorities’ heavy handed tactics to break up the demonstrations.