"The role of Ivanishvili is to save Georgia" - the ruling party celebrates the billionaire's return to politics
The ruling party in Georgia welcomes Ivanishvili’s return
“In Georgia and the world, a situation has arisen where the return of Bidzina Ivanishvili to politics was necessary. His role is to save our country,” reacted the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, to the news of the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s return to politics, whom many have long considered the shadow ruler of the country.
Other members of the ruling party, “Georgian Dream” (established by Bidzina Ivanishvili in 2012), also welcome his return as “an important event in Georgia’s life.”
On December 30, the ruling party “Georgian Dream” elected its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, as the honorary chairman at the year-end congress. This marks the third official return of Ivanishvili to politics since his party’s victory in the parliamentary elections in 2012, when he became the prime minister for a period.
In his initial statement, he cited alarming global issues as the main reason for his return. He also addressed the threat of internal conflicts within the ruling team and the “disintegrated, non-existent opposition” that, in his opinion, can no longer resist the government, posing risks to society.
Irakli Garibashvili: “If he hadn’t entered politics, we might not even have a country now.”
“Everyone is well aware of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s unique role in saving Georgia. If he had not entered politics in 2012, today we might not have a country at all.
If the previous repressive, criminal government (referring to the period of Mikheil Saakashvili’s presidency — JAMnews) had remained in power, the country would be involved in a war today, leading to its demise. We could have lost our sovereignty, and the country would have been completely destroyed,” stated the prime minister.
“In all the victories the country has achieved since 2012, Ivanishvili has played the lion’s share, the main and unique role,” he believes.
Garibashvili stated that “Ivanishvili’s role will once again be decisive because the geopolitical situation has changed: ‘The next 10 years will be a very challenging period not only for the region but for the whole world. It was necessary for us to bring him back into politics.'”
The leader of the ruling party: “This is a very important event in our political life.”
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairman of the ruling party “Georgian Dream,” largely echoed what Ivanishvili himself stated in his programmatic speech.
● The reason for the billionaire’s return to politics is not due to the weakness of the team.
● The “Georgian Dream” holds very strong positions. “Ivanishvili said that if parliamentary elections were held tomorrow, it would be easy for us to win 90-100 mandates even without an election campaign.”
● Kobakhidze also believes that the opposition is completely fragmented and non-existent, and this fact, along with other challenges, prompted Ivanishvili to make this decision.
“This is a very important event in our political life. It will provide opportunities for great success in the future. We must thank Ivanishvili for this decision,” said Kobakhidze, assuring that “this gratitude is shared by all members of the party and supporters.”
Kobakhidze also commented on claims that Bidzina Ivanishvili had been the shadow ruler of Georgia all these years.
“If there were informal governance, why would he need to return? Today’s decision proved that there is no informal government in our country. Giving advice does not mean informal governance,” noted Kobakhidze.
Ivanishvili stated in his speech that after his second exit from politics in 2021, he “advised two or three members of the team.”
Parliamentary Chairman: “Ivanishvili’s return to politics signifies greater consolidation in society.”
“The presence of Bidzina Ivanishvili in politics signifies greater consolidation, both within the Georgian Dream team and in society as a whole,” stated Parliament Chairman Shalva Papuashvili.
He reiterated Ivanishvili’s statement today that “the opposition has disintegrated and no longer exists, posing risks to the political system.”
“The opposition, in general, is weak and incompetent, and in such a state, political groups may resort to actions that threaten the country. Therefore, it is especially important now for the entire collective and society to unite into one team so that we can avoid the dangers awaiting Georgia inside and outside the country.
And by the end of next year, at this time, let’s all celebrate Georgia’s victory together,” said Papuashvili, referring to the crucial parliamentary elections scheduled for the fall of 2024.
