Ruling party founder Ivanishvili: Ex-PM Gakharia’s party is not my project, Gakharia is a traitor
The founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili made his first statement earlier today since he left Georgian politics back in January 2021. Photo: IPN.
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The founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili, who left Georgian politics for the second time back in January 2021, has responded to media reports that the new political party founded by ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia is affiliated with him.
Ivanishvili stated that the reports are ‘fake’ and are ‘attempts’ to again connect his name with political issues.
He stated that creating satellite, pseudo-opposition parties was a common practice under the previous, United National Movement government.
I have never thought of creating such a party while I was in politics and now, when I have left politics, I would never think to act in such an unacceptable way,” Ivanishvili said.
Today we unite for #Georgia, but not against anybody https://t.co/IQAtoJnh8P
— Giorgi Gakharia (@GakhariaGiorgi) May 29, 2021
He stated that any political cooperation with Gakharia would have been unacceptable for him.
Ivanishvili said that Gakharia ‘betrayed the ruling party and the Georgian state’ when he resigned in February 2021 with the reason that he was against the detention of opposition leader Nika Melia that time.
He resigned with the reason that he was against the rule of law and the enforcement of the law. His decision to resign was also unreal because several days before resignation Gakharia was demanding the suspension of MP status for Melia (to allow the court to detain him),” Ivanishvili said.
Ivanishvili stated that he was ‘deeply disappointed’ by Gakkharia. However, he said that Gakharia’s resignation caused no political crisis in the government ‘as some people forecasted this.’
He stated that the current ‘progressive and qualified government’ managed to overcome challenges and further strengthen state institutions.
Unlike other parties, for instance the United National Movement opposition party, the ruling Georgian Dream party is not dependent on leaders,” Ivanishvili said.
Last week the new head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze accused Gakharia and the opposition United National Movement party of planning an alleged coup in February 2021.
Political party “For Georgia” - We demand an immediate investigation into the comments of the current chairman of the ruling party @GeorgianDream41 https://t.co/sHf554NHnZ
— Kakhaber Kemoklidze (@KakhaKemoklidze) June 5, 2021
Gakharia’s party For Georgia has demanded ‘an immediate investigation’ of the allegations.
"I have made the decision to finally retire from politics and fully distance myself from the reins of power. I am leaving the post of party chairman, as well as the party itself and am returning to my pre-2011, private lifestyle. I will turn 65 years old in just a few weeks, and this is one of the important factors in making the decision to retire from politics,” Ivanishvili said, adding that the step ‘which is dictated by the desire to advance young people to the forefront...will not only not weaken, but will, in fact, further strengthen the ruling party.’
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced his resignation earlier today, saying that the step is connected with the upcoming arrest of the opposition MP, the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia. Gakharia has stated that Melia violated the law and has been engaged in sparking tension in the country.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has accused former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and the opposition United National Movement party of planning an alleged coup back in February. The ruling party chair Irakli Kobakhidze told Rustavi 2 media outlet on Friday that then-PM Gakharia had been requesting to postpone the detention of UNM chair Nika Melia for a couple of days after the court ruling for ‘groundless reasons’.
Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who now chairs the For Georgia political union, said at the party’s launch presentation earlier today that ‘we unite for Georgia, but not against anybody’. Stating that his team will be actively involved in political processes, Gakharia said Georgia now needs a political party which can ‘look the truth in the eyes’ and speak up about the challenges the country is facing nowadays, instead of living in illusions.
Ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia, who resigned and left the ruling party back in February and recently created a new political party For Georgia, has responded to criticism and allegations of treason by the ruling Georgian Dream party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The For Georgia political party, which was recently founded by former PM Giorgi Gakharia, has officially addressed the country’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the allegations of the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze of an alleged coup attempt.
The head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that the June 2019 rally dispersal in Tbilisi was ‘unclearly’ planned by then Interior Minister and former PM Giorgi Gakharia who recently founded a new political party For Georgia.
Former Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia, who now chairs political party For Georgia, is holding meetings with European Parliament members in Brussels.
Kelly Degnan, the United States Ambassador to Georgia, on Thursday confirmed she had met Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the former Prime Minister of Georgia, on March 21, shortly after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but rejected allegations on the discussion concerning Georgia joining the conflict or exerting pressure on Ivanishvili to push Government authorities to confront Russia.