"Over the next 12 years, we won't lose any elections," proclaimed Georgia's ruling party at the start of their pre-election campaign
Georgia’s ruling party at the pre-election campaign kickoff
The ruling party “Georgian Dream” officially launched its pre-election campaign on July 19th with messages like “Global War Party,” labeling the opposition as “forces of evil,” and predicting “a change of elite in the West leading Georgia into the EU.”
Georgia’s authorities have long practiced such slogans and verbal attacks on Western partners. In response, sanctions, restrictions, and reduced financial support from the US, EU, and several European countries have already been implemented.
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At the opening of the new central party office in Tbilisi, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze declared that the ruling party would win the parliamentary elections this October and “has no intention of losing any elections for at least the next 12 years.“
Also speaking at the ceremony was Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling party and a billionaire considered the informal ruler of Georgia.
He said that in 2012, (when “Georgian Dream” came to power), “society consigned the ‘National Movement’ regime (the previous ruling party founded by Mikhail Saakashvili) to the past.” However, Ivanishvili noted, “it later turned out that this party had deep roots in Georgia, becoming an agent of global influential forces.”
At the meeting, it was also announced that “Georgian Dream” and the formally separated pro-Russian movement “People’s Power” will run on a unified ticket in the parliamentary elections on October 26.
Below are the details of what the leaders of the ruling party “Georgian Dream” announced.
Bidzina Ivanishvili: “The fight against evil has continued relentlessly since 2012”
“In 2012, we [came to power] and consigned the regime [of Mikhail Saakashvili] to the past, symbolized by torture, unjustly filled prisons, business extortion, media takeovers, election fraud, and loss of control over Georgian territories.
Thanks to unprecedented unity among the Georgian people, we defeated this bloody regime in 2012. We believed the ‘National Movement’ would never again vie for a return to power.
However, it later turned out they had deep roots and became agents of global influence — the force we now call the ‘global party of war.’ It is because of the patronage of this global party of war that we still have to fight this evil.”
The struggle against evil has persisted uninterrupted since 2012. This battle has culminated in victory and in 2016, 2020, and 2021. Despite well-planned efforts, “National Movement” and its backers had to acknowledge the election results in all three instances.
In the parliamentary elections on October 26, Georgia will face a similar situation. The country will undoubtedly triumph over the forces that have sought to create chaos and drag it into war over the past four years. Once again, “Georgian Dream” will prevail over agents; the party of peace will triumph over the party of war.
For the collective “National Movement” [a term often used by authorities to denote the entire opposition — JAMnews] and its backers, this is the final battle in their attempt to sow chaos and open a second front.
For “Georgian Dream,” this is the decisive battle for the ultimate consolidation of peace in Georgia, cessation of artificial radicalization and polarization, maintenance of stability and economic progress, and protection of national honor.
This is our battle to preserve Georgia’s European perspective.
Despite the most challenging challenges and intense pressure, over the past four years, we have maintained peace in the country, doubled the nominal economy in dollar terms, and attained candidate status for European Union membership.
All of this has been made possible through the support of Georgian society. It has resisted numerous waves of disinformation and manipulation, avoided mistakes, and shielded Georgia from the tragedy that unfortunately befell Ukraine.
We need a resounding victory, achieving a constitutional majority, to definitively end the war party, halt foreign influence, radicalism, polarization, and liberal fascism in Georgia.
All of this is necessary for Georgia to irreversibly continue its peaceful development, economic progress, and reach European standards of prosperity. This is the essential condition for the country’s accession to the European Union.
We cannot afford the luxury of risking the destruction of our country. A single wrong step could turn our traditional New Year’s fireworks into a Lomjaria fireworks display [former ombudsman Nino Lomjaria, a well-known figure in Georgia, now leads the non-governmental organization “European Orbit” — JAMnews].
Unfortunately, specific forces still consider opening a second front. According to their calculations, this move should alter the complex situation on the first front [typically referring to the war in Ukraine – JAMnews].
For several years now, Georgia has faced unprecedented pressure aimed at opening this second front, which intensified significantly with the onset of the war in Ukraine.
The global war party wields considerable influence over today’s American and European bureaucracies. This fosters a perception within Georgian society that Georgia is at odds with the United States and the European Union. However, once the war in Ukraine concludes, interests will shift, and this perception will instantly dissipate.
It’s clear to everyone that if Georgia were to enter into war, the consequences would be even worse than those experienced by Ukraine. Preventing this is a top priority, which will be decisively addressed on October 26 with another victory for the “Georgian Dream.”
I want to emphasize here that deepening our cooperation with China is not an alternative to cooperation with the United States and the European Union. On the contrary, it’s an additional factor in our overall cooperation that we need to deepen in the coming years.
“Join the war or leave”—this demand directed at the “Georgian Dream” is utterly unacceptable. Georgia’s population will deliver a resounding response in the elections on October 26.
Within a maximum of a year, global and regional political interests will shift. Specifically, interest in Georgia will undergo a fundamental change.
The ongoing war in Ukraine will conclude no later than a year from now. If the Republicans win the U.S. presidential elections (this November), the war could even end as early as January.
Therefore, Georgia’s priority is to win and hold out during this short period. Once the war in Ukraine ends, all misunderstandings with the U.S. and Europe will quickly fade into the past. Georgia will then become a completely different subject of interest for global political players.
The parliamentary elections on October 26 are a referendum. It’s a referendum between war and peace, between slavery and dignity, between reverting to a dark past and progressing, between utter despair and Georgia’s European perspective.
Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister: “The result of our 12 years in power has been a democratic and economic surge”
“The Georgian Dream” relegated the war party to the past [referring to the “National Movement,” the ruling party during the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili — JAMnews].
Their venture in 2008 (the August war between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia) cost the lives of over 400 soldiers and civilians. More than 30,000 of our fellow citizens became displaced, and we lost control over 20 percent of our country’s territories.
Removing this agency from power and their authoritarian rule was a decisive victory, for which as an ordinary citizen of the country, I would like to once again thank Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Twelve years after the party’s founding, the Georgian Dream has its own modern office. This is a clear sign that we will not lose in any elections for at least another 12 years.
In 12 years of Georgian Dream’s governance, Georgia achieved not only a democratic breakthrough but also an economic one.
The economy grew from 28 billion to 80 billion. Infrastructure development, healthcare and social protection funding, agriculture, education, culture, sports, and other sectors saw significant growth rates.
Nearly 700,000 out of 1,100,000 of our fellow citizens lifted themselves out of poverty.
Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Parliament: “The elections will be a victory for prosperity, fulfilling the Georgian dream”
“Today, no European country is growing economically and institutionally as rapidly as Georgia.
Thanks to 12 years of uninterrupted peace, we have a new generation that has not seen war and has not felt the pain of destruction.
This became possible because the Georgian Dream, unlike other governments in Georgia’s post-independence period, never rushed. The party did not seek fleeting and fragile outcomes but had long-term and sustainable goals.
Our own history teaches us that the life of a country is akin to a person’s life, where those who rush always lag behind.
The Georgian people have clearly stated their vision for their European path.
Firstly, it is about Europe. We are co-creators of European civilization; we are Europe itself. Therefore, our European path means preserving Georgian, which signifies European, culture, traditions, and values, and participating in their development.
Secondly, it is about the European Union as a union of European peoples. We don’t just aspire to join this union of nations; we aim to enter it as equals among equals.
Let us approach it with our unique role, our national dignity, which unfortunately we have lost many times. We want to enrich and strengthen the EU culturally and economically, not just merge into it.
Kakha Kaladze, Mayor of Tbilisi: “We have brought real freedom; people are no longer afraid to express different opinions”
“I confidently state that over the 12 years since October 1, 2012 (when ‘Georgian Dream’ came to power), we have made significant progress in almost every area.
Our team was the first to set making people and their rights the cornerstone of our policy. It is ‘Georgian Dream’ that has brought real, not superficial, freedom. Today, people in our country are not afraid to express different opinions and positions.
In fact, we are the government that has restored the dignity of every citizen and the entire society, and we unwaveringly care about its protection.
We are the only political force that dared to build European democracy based on a free society, full of dignity. Our citizens, first and foremost, take independent steps based on the interests of our country.”
Irakli Garibashvili, chairman of the ruling party, on the opposition: “Supporters of war and chaos, they serve the interests of other countries”
“Just like in 2012, in the parliamentary elections of October 2024, our society will find it easy to make a choice, because it has already been made.
It’s a choice between war and peace. On one side, a political force oriented towards development, towards national interests. On the other side, political forces that bring war and chaos, pursue the interests of foreign countries, forces of evil.”
