Levan Khabeishvi, a 35-year-old UNM member of the Tbilisi City Council, has won the leadership contest of Georgia's main opposition party.
According to UNM Political Council Chairman Koba Nakopia, who was in charge of organising the direct election using the blockchain system, Mr Khabeishvili received 52.58% (21,656 votes), while Melia came in second with 40% (16,476 votes).
Other candidates were behind the leaders, with Nona Mamulashvili getting 3.73% (1,537 votes) and Giorgi Mumladze - 3.68% (1,516 votes).
The new leader will be formally inaugurated at a party congress to be held in the near future.
Conceding defeat, Melia wished his opponent to lead the party "with dignity and truth". Melia also said he would not leave the party until Mikheil Saakashvili "remains a personal hostage of the Russian regime". He also stressed that he would remain at the forefront of the struggle against the regime, which is "moving firmly into the Russian orbit".
Melia had previously accused Khabeishvili of being under the influence of former prime minister and interior minister Vano Merabishvili and Formula TV founder Davit Kezerashvili.
Another candidate, Nona Mamulashvili, also congratulated Khabeishvili, but expressed doubts that this would pave the way for the processes the country needs. "The problem is that, in a broader sense, money and informal influences have won over politics. I would like to believe that we will not get the results that we actually get in similar cases," she wrote on her Facebook page.
Giorgi Mumladze, another UNM leadership candidate, congratulated Khabeishvili on his victory, noting that UNM supporters had voted for change with this "important" decision.
Prior to the election, Khabeishvili published a 12-point plan with the liberation of Mikheil Saakashvili topping the list of his priorities followed by different measures to overhaul the party management.
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