President Saakashvili has arrived at ongoing rally of his UNM party outside the old parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue and expected to address supporters.

Those UNM figures, who have already addressed the rally, including parliamentary minority leader Davit Bakradze, MP Sergo Ratiani and MP Giorgi Vashadze, spoke about the “launch of the new national movement” in Georgia.

UNM parliamentary minority leader, Davit Bakradze, thanked participants for turning out in large numbers at the rally and “showing that rumors of our death have been exaggerated.”

“Tens of thousands of people are gathered here today, but even more are at homes, who are concerned and disappointed with the policies of the new government, but are still hesitant to support the National Movement party; they say: ‘I don’t like the current government, but should I support the old one?’,” MP Davit Bakradze told the rally.

“I want to tell all those people: Yes, you should support the National Movement, because today’s National Movement is a different party with renewed energy, new blood and new vision, the party, which has learned from past mistakes,” Bakradze said and added that “at last Georgia has strong, constructive, responsible and patriotic opposition.”

Addressing the rally, which is held under the banner of defending Georgia’s pro-western foreign policy course, MP Sergo Ratiani said that PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s remarks about the August war were “unforgivable mistake.”

“This is unforgivable mistake when government blames its own country of launching the war – that’s the red line, which should never be crossed,” MP Ratiani told the rally. “We should start new national movement, which will put red lines that will never be crossed by any government.”