Bidzina Ivanishvili says participation of “radicals” in domestic politics must “come to an end once and for all” following convincing victory of Georgian Dream party in elections

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and Honorary Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday said the participation of “radicals” in Georgian politics must come to an end “once and for all” following the convincing victory of the Georgian Dream party in the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

In his speech at a campaign meeting in Georgia's western Ozurgeti municipality, Ivanishvili vowed that the ruling party would do everything to ensure that “every citizen of Georgia feels the development and prosperity of our country”.

Ivanishvili further stressed the importance of having “peace” in the country by saying that “the history of our country has taught us well what the price of peace is”.

“The most recent past of Georgia clearly showed us the importance of peace, the tragic events that took place in our homeland in the 90s and the war of 2008 [with Russia], a crime for which the [opposition] United National Movement [party] is responsible! On the contrary, the Georgian Dream party is the only political force in Georgia, which, in the most difficult situation, brought the country 12 years of continuous peace! All of us who love our country unanimously agree that today, given the challenges that Georgia is facing amid ongoing military conflicts in the region, maintaining peace is vital for our country”, he continued.

Ivanishvili further alleged that the collective United National Movement opposition was at the service of the “ill-wishers” of this country, and this had been proven many times, and further pointed out that “I emphatically state that this force and those giving it tasks represent a real threat to the statehood of Georgia!”.

“Therefore, after the convincing victory of the Georgian Dream party in the parliamentary elections, the participation of radicals in Georgian politics must come to an end once and for all. Moreover, the issue of holding the [United National Movement] regime accountable for the most serious crime they committed in August 2008, which took the lives of our fellow citizens and cost us two historical regions of Georgia, should be put on the agenda. I promise you that after the elections we will definitely hold the collective United National Movement accountable for their treasonous actions!” Ivanishvili stressed.

He further emphasised it was “fundamentally important” that, with the unprecedented support of the Georgian citizens, the Georgian Dream party had all the levers for establishing long-term peace in the country and building an “effective” democratic societal order.

“Confident in your support, I personally promise you that only with peace, dignity and prosperity towards Europe will become a reality of the country that we love so much, a country that is and will be independent, that determines the fate of its own people and will not allow anyone, except the Georgian people, to dictate what is good for Georgia, what should we believe in and what values ​​should we live by!” he said.

Ivanishvili also claimed that “pseudo-liberal” ideology was posing the “greatest” threat to the future of “our country, our faith and our children”.

“In Georgia, no one should question the motherhood of a Georgian mother or the fatherhood of a Georgian father. No one should dare to propagate the perverted way of life, which today is uncontrollably spread by the media controlled by radical groups. The past years have proven that my team and I are guarantors of freedom of speech and expression, but we will not allow an aggressive minority to impose their views, even verbally, on the majority of the country’s citizens”, he noted.

Ivanishvili added that “we should be ready at any time to restore the country's territorial integrity in a peaceful way, and the ruling team needs maximum legitimacy for this”, and further pointed out that “remember that each mandate you give is one vote for the reunification of Georgia”.