TBILISI, March 4 (RIA Novosti) - Irakly Okruashvili, a former Georgian defense minister, will head the Movement for United Georgia's candidate list at the parliamentary election in May, the opposition party announced on Tuesday.

Okruashvili, once a close ally of President Mikheil Saakashvili, was extradited to France from Germany last year, where he was arrested in November at the request of Georgian authorities.

Party leader Georgy Tortladze said: "Irakly Okruashvili will be running in the upcoming parliamentary election and will head our party's candidate list."

The leader did not disclose when the candidate list would be drafted, but said Okruashvili would be officially announced as the top candidate and as party chairman within a week.

The Movement for United Georgia is part of the nine-party opposition coalition "National Council." Tortladze said Okruashvili would also be among the top 10 candidates of the coalition's candidate list.

Okruashvili was jailed when the Movement for United Georgia was being established by him in September 2007, meaning he could not be elected party chairman. Now that his extradition is being considered, he is eligible to head the party.

A Paris court ruled on January 30 to release the former minister on bail.

Okruashvili is accused by Tbilisi of corruption-related crimes. He has been charged with abuse of office, money laundering and corruption, and is currently seeking political asylum in France.