Ruling Party leaders praise Georgian Dream as “unique force for peace, stability”

Top officials from the ruling Georgian Dream party on Wednesday lauded the party as a “unique force” for safeguarding the country from potential conflicts and ensuring “peace and stability” in both the short and long term.

Speaking at an election campaign event in the central city of Mtskheta, Irakli Garibashvili, the party Chair and former Prime Minister, asserted GD had “no alternative” for voters in the upcoming October 26 general elections.

Addressing the opposition, Garibashvili warned the “evil force” of the United National Movement, which ruled from 2004 to 2012, would “once again confront the people”, albeit this time “disguised, artificially divided, and spread across many fronts to confuse and deceive the public”.

The official labelled the UNM as an “anti-state” party, accusing it of seeking a return to power to pursue alleged personal interests. 

“heir goal is to create an even worse regime than before, establishing an eternal dictatorship, oppressing and destroying the people, betraying national interests, and serving foreign powers”,he claimed.

Ruling party Honorary Chair labels October elections “referendum between war and peace, slavery and freedom”

The party Chairman emphasised the importance of the upcoming elections, declaring, “under the leadership of our leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili [Honorary Chair of Georgian Dream and former PM], and together with our people, we must save our country once again and prevent the evil force that oppressed our people from destroying our nation”.

Garibashvili framed the elections as a choice “between war and peace,” urging voters to choose between a “war party aligned with foreign interests” and a “peace party dedicated to the country’s welfare and peaceful development”. He also commended Ivanishvili for his role in “saving the country” from the UNM in the 2012 Parliamentary elections.

In his address, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili highlighted the significance of the “decisive elections”, saying, “in these challenging times, guided by the wisdom of our people, we stood firm, remained loyal to our country’s interests, and prevented our nation from becoming a war zone”.

PM highlights importance of securing constitutional majority in elections to “hold UNM party accountable for crimes”

Papuashvili cautioned the threats had not vanished, stressing the upcoming vote was not just about electing a government but about “choosing a vision for Georgia’s peaceful future”.

Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the GD, emphasised the party's commitment to “strengthening the Orthodox Church, protecting family values, fostering Georgian culture, and preserving traditions while continuing on the path of European integration”. He also called for “maximum mobilisation”  from the Georgian population in the elections.

Everyone is well aware of the difficult challenges Georgia faces. We have seen attempts to assert falsehoods as truth, efforts to strip us of our right to transparency, and the imposition of fascism under the guise of democracy. They want to impose interests on us that are incompatible with our country's needs. We must remember that the 2024 Parliamentary elections will determine not just the fate of political parties, but the fate of our country".

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the GD, highlighted the “stark contrast” in the election, describing it as “a clear choice between white and black, evil and good, lies and truth”.