Ruling GD party leaders highlight “value” of peace, recent accomplishments

The ruling Georgian Dream party officials on Saturday highlighted “the threats of a war” while speaking about the “value” of peace and the Government’s achievements over the past 12 years, ahead of the October 26 general elections.

In his opening remarks at a campaign event in the western Georgian city of Kutaisi, Irakli Garibashvil, the Chair of the ruling party, drew a contrast between the "horrific situation" before the 2012 parliamentary elections in the country and present-day Georgia, describing the rule of the "bloody regime" of the former United National Movement party as mainly dominated by "fear, terror, oppression and injustice, where no free speech, no free media, no free business existed [...] and the whole country was held hostage".

Garibashvili claimed that Mikheil Saakashvili, the imprisoned former President of Georgia, "along with all the miseries [of the UNM rule]", in August 2008, brought a terrible war on our people [against Russia]" leading to "temporary occupation of the country’s territories, the loss of 100 villages, the Kodori Gorge, heroic soldiers, brave police officers, civilians".

He highlighted the GD party’s "historic victory" in 2012 that brought "12 years of continuous peace, stability and prosperity" to the country and its people, alongside "great progress and advancement in all directions".

Most importantly, we have not surrendered in the most difficult times, in the era of geopolitical transformation, despite many provocations coordinated by internal and external forces [...] and despite harsh external interference and great pressure. We stood firm and we averted war, maintaining peace", he added while crediting Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Honorary Chair and founder of the GD party, with the accomplishments.

He further warned the public of the dangers of voting for four parties - UNM, Ahali, Lelo and For Georgia - in the upcoming elections, claiming it would lead to “imposing sanctions [against Russia], economic collapse, involving Georgia into war, destruction of the country and the annihilation of the people”.

Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling GD party, called Kutaisi "an ancient city that has always been and still is our country's political, cultural and educational centre" and praised its cultural heritage.

In his address, Kaladze emphasised the most "immediate needs" of the nation, identifying "peace and stability" as such and added the Georgian people knew well "how much devastation and destruction the war brings".

Today, it is our duty not to leave any questions unanswered and to ensure that there is legal accountability for the [2008] August war so that no ruler will ever again dare to destroy or put their own country at risk", he said while accusing the opposition of "being ready to sell their own country at the command of their foreign masters as they would prefer bombs to fall on our country".

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling party, claimed the GD party had "accomplished the impossible" while citing its achievements and pointed out that in terms of an economic growth rate of 10 percent, Georgia, as the EU membership candidate country, was in the first place in Europe.

He additionally highlighted the Government's efforts to maintain peace "at great cost" and to strengthen the policy of “reconciliation, mutual forgiveness”, while putting the "dignity" of the nation above all as demonstrated by the adoption of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence in May and the "prohibition of LGBT propaganda".

In his speech, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili highlighted the European Parliament’s recently passed Resolution on the Democratic Backsliding and Threats to Political Pluralism in Georgia as the "negation of everything that Georgians consider as European values", since the Resolution "demanded the release of Saakashvili, the creator of the regime of torture" and “called on Georgia to impose sanctions against Russia [for its war against Ukraine]".

Papuashvili said Europe “is respect for others and not subordination, truth and not deception, lending a hand and not tripping up, Europe is spirituality and not godlessness", stressing Georgia could not exist without its "faith, traditions and identity".

He also added that in the upcoming elections "the choice [of people] must be the final victory of the Georgian values".