Marika Verulashvili, a majoritarian MP elected in Kvareli single-mandate constituency, has quit UNM parliamentary minority group.

Verulashvili was President Saakashvili’s long-time ally, who is a lawmaker since 2004; she has not yet spoken about reasons behind her decision to quit UNM.

Senior UNM lawmakers said Verulashvili’s decision was a result of “pressure” from new authorities.

President Saakashvili said in January that MP Verulashvili was among those UNM lawmakers who were under pressure from the new authorities to switch sides. Saakashvili accused the new government of exerting pressure on MP Verulashvili to quit UNM and to vote for Georgian Dream-initiated constitutional amendments, otherwise threatened with the arrest of her husband.

Verulashvili is a tenth lawmaker who has quit UNM since the October 1, 2012 parliamentary elections.

As a result UNM, which won 65 seats in the Parliament, now has 55 members in the legislative body.