Georgian Parliament official: October 1 victory helped put Georgia on path of development

Davit Matikashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules, on Thursday discussed Georgian Dream’s victory in the parliamentary elections held 14 years ago, describing October 1, 2012, as an “epochal” and “watershed” event in Georgia’s history.

In his remarks, Matikashvili said Georgia had been facing what he described as an inevitable collapse under the previous government.

“Under Saakashvili’s rule, society remembers very well the extremely difficult reality that we all faced under this brutal regime, when Saakashvili’s tyrannical regime, acting on instructions from external forces, was effectively destroying our country and the values on which this country stands. Young people were directly killed in the streets, prisoners were raped in penitentiary facilities, businesses were stripped of their property, and territories were handed over to the occupier. Had it not been for Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Georgian Dream he created, and the enormous mobilization of the Georgian people, this collapse would have been an inevitable outcome of all this”, he said.

Matikashvili said the “revolutionary” elections of October 1, 2012, had radically changed the situation in Georgia.

“The country embarked on a path of development, with 14 consecutive years of peace to this day, which has contributed to the country’s economic progress, strengthened its position in the region, and created opportunities for Georgia and the Georgian people. This is precisely the merit of Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream and, of course, His Majesty, the Georgian people”, he concluded.

Today marks 14 years since the Georgian Dream came to power. In the parliamentary elections held on October 1, 2012, Georgian Dream, led by Bidzina Ivanishvili, received 54.97 percent of the vote, defeating the then-ruling United National Movement.