On October 1, the Honorary Chair and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, published his letter commemorating the 12th anniversary of GD’s coming to power in Georgia in 2012, calling the day “the day of the return of freedom”, “the unity of the Georgian people”, “the most important victory in the history of independent Georgia” and “the day when a Georgian man restored his honor”.
“October 1, 2012 is one of the main cornerstones of our history, one of the main justifications for the existence of the Georgian people, the day that best expresses the Georgian gene and the legacy of our ancestors – no matter how powerful the enemy, internal or external, when it comes to the dignity and freedom of our people, there is no going back!” emphasizes Ivanishvili in the letter.
Ivanishvili stresses that October 1 is “not a date that belongs to a particular party”, but rather a date that belongs to the Georgian people, who “with this amazing unity, together with the “Georgian dream”, washed away the shameful black stain from the country [United National Movement government in power], which “did not allow us to breathe freely, to express our opinions, to fight for the truth, to live with dignity, to take care of our families and loved ones, to work, to do business, to get an education, and to spend our old age with dignity”.
Ivanishvili explains that it was “patriotism” that helped people overcome the “fear” that wouldn’t let them gather in the streets to support the GD in 2011, but wasn’t strong enough to keep them from gathering in 2012 and voting for the GD to win the elections. “It was this unprecedented unity of our people that the former regime and its foreign handlers could not face!”
Comparing October 1 with May 26 and April 9 – the key dates in Georgian recent history in the context of the country’s independence- he expressed his gratitude to the people, saying that the homeland was grateful for this as well. He also thanked each member of GD, who in the past 12 years “walked with us in the minefield with dignity and withstood all the pressures to be with us again today!”
Ivanishvili claims that after that date, the GD government didn’t only “defeat authoritarianism” but also improved Georgia in all aspects, including the economy, human rights, justice, etc. He says that this is proven by international ratings, which show that Georgia is moving upwards. He also says that no sphere was better developed before 2012 than after 2012, which was achieved by the GD’s “right walk on the tightrope”, which “continues to this day.”
On more than one occasion Bidzina Ivanishvili’s speech mentions “walking the tightrope” by the ruling GD evoking unnamed “enemies” of Georgia. “Yes, until recently we tried not to talk about this issue in public, so as not to cause anxiety to the population, but since October 1, 2012 – until today, the authorities of Georgia and “Georgian Dream” have to walk on the tightrope, so that in the constant regime of external and internal enemies trying to organize revolutions and disrupt the country, maintain continuous peace in the country and not allow what is happening in our neighbor Ukraine, what we went through in 2008,” Ivanishvili stresses.
He notes that people must know that while walking on this tightrope, GD has had only one goal in mind: to preserve Georgia’s independence, freedom, religion, culture, history, and values. He says that now it is left to walk the last small part of the tightrope, which the people should support by everyone going to the elections and voting for GD, so that no one ever has any doubt about the people’s support for the party. Ivanishvili reiterates the GD narrative that by voting for GD the people say “no” to war, “yes” to peace, “no” to pseudo-liberal ideologies, “yes” to preserving family dignity, and “no” to the radical opposition and the “categorically unacceptable situation proposed by their foreign handlers”, which “they try to sell as Europe”, and “yes” to the honorable European future of the country.
Ivanishvili emphasizes that for this reason, it is “fundamentally important” for the party to achieve a constitutional majority to first declare UNM unconstitutional and then put its members on trial with all rigor of the law so that Georgia be ruled by its chosen government and not “the foreign agent-composed UNM”; to achieve territorial integrity; to reflect the role of the Orthodox Church of Georgia in the Constitution as the “identity pillar of the state of Georgia.” He stresses by saying that it is not a question of political “sympathy or antipathy,” but of whether Georgia will exist at all.
“Our only path is to Europe with peace, dignity, and prosperity!” GD honorary chairman concludes.
Also Read:
- 14/09/2024 – In Gori, Ivanishvili Blames Outsiders, UNM for 2008 War, Broaches Apology “to Ossetian Brothers and Sisters”
- 09/09/2024 – Ivanishvili: “Violent Attempts to Impose Pseudo-Liberal Values from Abroad Will Finally End”
- 31/08/2024 – Ivanishvili Says the Role of Orthodox Church to Strengthen
- 25/08/2024 – Bidzina Ivanishvili Drops “Faith” Hint About the Planned Constitutional Change
- 21/08/2024 – Ivanishvili Hammers Home the Message of Political Revenge, Dangles Hope of Salvation
- 16/07/2024 – Ivanishvili Launches GD Campaign with “Global Party of War” Conspiracy as its Pivot
- 29/04/2024 – Bidzina Ivanishvili Backs Anti-Western Policies, Threatens Repressions