The congress took place a month after the mandates of the UNM leadership, including chair Tinatin Bokuchava, expired in early July. The “governing council,” originally intended to have nine members, was formed with eight after Bokuchava declined to join but decided to remain on the UNM political council. “The United National Movement congress was held brilliantly,” Saakashvili wrote in a Facebook post shortly after the congress. Bokuchava was absent from a political council meeting last week that set the congress date. The campaign began in Anaklia on Georgia’s Black Sea coast days before the UNM congress.