Ruling Party Honorary Chair highlights Georgian Dream’s 12-year accomplishments

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and Honorary Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday highlighted the accomplishments of the GD party, comparing them with the “oppressive regime” of the United National Movement party that had governed the country from 2003 to 2012, ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

In his speech at an election campaign event in the city of Ozurgeti, in the country's western Guria region, the Honorary Chair emphasised the “predatory nature” of the previous government that “plagued the whole of Georgia, especially Guria”.

Guria as “abundant” region with great potential

Ivanishvili compared the current state of the region to what it was like under the previous government. He said the past regime had not taken any actions to improve the well-being of the local population, adding, on the contrary, “they managed to plunge the proud people of Guria, known for their hospitality, into poverty, depriving these open-handed and vibrant people of hope and faith in the future”.

He said he knew from the beginning of his entry into politics in 2012  Guria had huge potential for attracting investments that would have a “positive” impact on its economic development.

“Today, Guria is much more developed than it was 12 years ago. People's work is more valued, the resorts of Guria are beloved not only by locals but also by foreign visitors, and infrastructure is much more improved, in which I personally have had a modest contribution, as I have always believed and continue to believe in the uniqueness of Guria and its people”,  the former Prime Minister added.

Value of peace

Ivanishvili emphasised the importance of peace in Georgia, saying the GD party was “the only political force that, in the most challenging circumstances, has kept the peace in the country for 12 years”.

He noted that amid the ongoing military conflicts in the region and against the backdrop of Georgia’s recent history involving the “tragic events in the 1990s and the 2008 war [Russia’s war with Georgia]”, maintaining peace was “vital” for the country.

He blamed the “collective United National Movement” for not striving for peace in the country and instead “doing everything to drag Georgia into a military conflict”.

Securing “convincing victory” in upcoming elections and bringing UNM party to justice

The Honorary Chair also highlighted the importance of winning with a “convincing majority” in the upcoming elections.

“After the GD's convincing victory in the October parliamentary elections, the participation of radicals in Georgian politics must be put to an end once and for all. [...] I promise you that after the elections, we will definitely bring the collective United National Movement to justice for their treacherous actions”, Ivanishvili noted.

Safeguarding Georgian way of life, Orthodox identity against “pseudo-liberal ideology”

Ivanishvili further emphasised the threats facing “the future of our country, our faith, and our children”.

“We need to resolve the problem in the form of pseudo-liberal ideology that poses the greatest threat to the future of our country, our faith, and our children. No one in Georgia should question the motherhood of a Georgian mother and the paternity of a Georgian father. No one should dare to promote a distorted way of life, which today flows uncontrollably from the media managed by radical groups. The past years have proven that my team and I are guarantors of freedom of speech and expression [...]”, he said.

The Honorary Chair also stressed that proposed constitutional amendments, aimed at solidifying the “mission of Orthodoxy as the foundation of the uniqueness of the Georgian state”, would be passed after the October elections, calling Orthodox Christianity “one of the main pillars of our identity”.