10.11.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the opposition Labor Party, will not be arrested and he can “freely run for the presidency” in January's election, President Saakashvili said ("Authorities Soften Stance on Labor Party Leader") [ID 21629]

Document(s): Open document

09.11.2007 - Source: EurasiaNet

President accuses opposition members Shalva Natelashvili, leader of Labour Party, and Konstantin Gamsakhurdia, leader of Freedom Party, of espionage and plotting a coup; launch of investigations against opposition financier Badri Patarkatsishvili for alleged threats of overthrowing government ("Espionage charges brought against opposition leaders, conflict continues") [ID 21625]

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

The deputy chief prosecutor Gvaramia announced that the leader of the Labor Party Natelashvili is wanted for charges of espionage and conspiracy to overthrow the government ("Labor Party Leader Wanted for ‘Coup Plotting’ and ‘Espionage’") [ID 21560]

Document(s): Open document

28.09.2007 - Source: Civil Georgia

Leader of opposition Labour Party said his party would join calls for protest rallies following ex-Defence Minister Okruashvili’s arrest and added that snap elections were needed to overcome the current crisis ("Labor Party Calls for Snap Polls") [ID 21248]

Document(s): Open document

21.01.2003 - Source: EurasiaNet

Eurasianet: The Labor Party aims for a socialist Georgia, with free health care, education and social services ("Georgia`s mounting opposition") [#10573],  [ID 4703]

"Labor, along with the New Rights Party, is one of the few groups in Georgian politics to articulate a clear ideological platform. Its vision of a socialist Georgia, with free health care, education and social services, is particularly appealing to the elderly, who have seen their standard of living drop significantly since independence. The party is strong in Tbilisi, which has a large elderly population. It also enjoys support in scattered pockets outside the capital, such as the area around Dusheti, hometown of Labor’s leader, Shalva Natelashvili. The party’s popularity is tied closely to that of Natelashvili himself, a charismatic if mercurial former state prosecutor.

After the party’s founding in 1997, its leaders adopted a number of pro-Russian stances, including supporting Georgian neutrality, a move calculated to exclude future membership in NATO. In recent years, Natelashvili has shifted his stance and, while still calling for neutrality, now has given his blessing to Georgia’s eventual bid for NATO membership. Domestically, Natelashvili supports an investigation of the chaotic post-Soviet privatization process and calls for a highly progressive tax system with which to fund his proposed social policies.

Labor’s relations with other political parties have always been tense. In recent months, Natelashvili has sparred with the Reformers, particularly because both Zhvania and Saakashvili have tapped into the sector of the electorate that used to be strongly pro-Labor. It was thus surprising to many political analysts that Natelashvili helped Saakashvili secure the chairmanship of the Tbilisi City Council in October 2002. When asked to justify his move in a private interview, Natelashvili stated that "we wanted to give Saakashvili a chance to do what he promised . . . and show what he was and was not capable of doing." Given the magnitude of the problems facing Tbilisi and the resources available for solutions, it seems that Saakashvili will be hard pressed to fulfill campaign promises. As the elections approach, Natelashvili may hope to gain electoral points by calling Saakashvili to task for not fulfilling these pledges.

It is difficult to predict what role Labor will play during the forthcoming parliamentary elections and afterward. Natelashvili sees himself as presidential material, but his provincial style, lack of contacts with the West and strong opposition within the business community and political elite create substantial obstacles to a successful presidential bid. In addition, Labor is in dire financial straits. However, barring any major changes to the current political environment, Labor will likely gain enough votes to cross the seven-percent barrier and enter parliament.

Natelashvili is said by some analysts to be nurturing a behind-the-scenes relationship with the New Rights Party; he has so far pointedly failed to criticize this group despite his consistent slamming of the other major players in Georgian politics. Some analysts speculate that following the parliamentary elections, the two parties could form an influential voting bloc, assuming both win seats in the legislature. Labor could in theory secure some role in governing the country, while the New Rights could gain political cover among the older generation to pursue their unpopular program of free market reforms."

Document(s): Open document

12.06.2002 - Source:

Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy: Georgian Labour Party ("12.06.2002 - Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy: Labor Party") [ID 4704]

"The surprise front-runner party is led by Shalva Natelashvili. At the party's third congress last month, the program called for nationalization of certain key industries as an alternative to oligarchic capitalism. The party also calls for direct elections for regional executives (gamgebeli, who are presently appointed by the president) and moving up parliamentary and presidential elections to 2002. (SARKE, 1 May 02; via ISI Emerging Markets Database) Natelashvili has been highly critical of Shevardnadze, and has better "outsider" credentials than any of the other reformers who have all held top government positions recently. Some say that the Labor Party -- which is personality driven and lacks a regional structure -- will fizzle out before the parliamentary elections. (Jaba Devdariani, "Chaotic Local Elections Yield Dubious Results in Georgia," EURASIANET, 4 Jun 02; ISI Emerging Markets Database) It's not clear with which parties Labor will align in the Tbilisi legislature, but it is certain that Natelashvili is the big winner who will be courted by the other factions."

Document(s): 12.06.2002 - Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy: Labor Party

06.2002 - Source: British Helsinki Human Rights Group

BHHRG: Georgian Labour Party regards itself as „left of centre“, as advocator of free enterprise and as guarantor for social services ("Report: Georgia 2002") [#8566],  [ID 4705]

"In a post-election interview with a representative of the Georgian Labour Party (whose name was also Zurab Zhvania), BHHRG was told that the party had actually received 18% in the 1999 parliamentary elections, but due to falsification had failed to pass the 7% threshold and had applied to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, from which they were now awaiting a decision. After the June 2nd election, Dr. Zhvania told BHHRG his party’s actual share of the vote was 35-37% (as opposed to 26%) in the Tbilisi City Soviet.

Describing his party as the “real opposition” to Mr. Shevardnadze, Dr. Zhvania characterized Saakashvili’s National Movement and “Zhvania’s Team” as less authentic because of their past ties to the president, and described Mr. Saakashvili and Mr. Zhvania as the “best professionals” at falsifying elections by virtue of their careers in the SMK. Dr. Zhvania – who said he had learned English from listening to Voice of America and “Jazz Hour” – had worked closely with the Carter Centre at Emory University in Atlanta, from which, coincidentally, Mr. Shevardnadze holds an honorary doctorate. He also claimed his party had “no money” compared to Saakashvili’s National Movement and “Zhvania’s Team,” but some Georgians said the Labour Party had received substantial support from Great Britain. Its headquarters in Tbilisi appeared to be well endowed.

BHHRG was told that the party was “New Labour” – a “left-of-centre” party that adhered to “Blair’s ideology” and supported “a market economy” with “strict social guarantees.” Dr. Zhvania described his party as in favour of “democratic order,” and added: “Democracy is a very big responsibility both from the side of power and from the side of the citizens” [emphasis added]. He also said that the Labour Party had attracted all the “leftist voters” in the republic, and that Saakashvili and Zhvania, in an attempt to win votes, had recently been appropriating all the leftist slogans Labour had consistently and traditionally used."

Document(s): Internal affairs
Polling day Conclusion Open document