Senior lawmaker from the ruling National Movement Party, Givi Targamadze, said he did not think Nino Burjanadze, the Parliamentary Chairperson, would go into “sharp opposition” to the Saakashvili’s administration.

“Based on statements she has made, I am sure that it will not grow into a sharp confrontation,” MP Targamadze said in a Rustavi 2 TV’s talk show Triangle on May 7. “She may have – and it will be natural – different position on some issues, but I want to repeat and I can say it based on her statement that she would not emerge as a sharp opposition [figure].”

“She remains the closest political ally and part of the team, because she remains part of the authorities and we share our opinions on all the major issues.”

Speculation that Burjanadze plans to go into opposition of the Saakashvili administration are rife since the Parliamentary Chairperson withdrew from the ruling party’s list of MP candidates on April 21 citing disagreement over the list. She, however, also declared that her announcement did not mean going into opposition.