On October 23, three days before the crucial parliamentary elections, the ruling Georgian Dream party concluded its pre-election regional tour with a closing rally in the capital, Tbilisi, where most of the crowd had been bussed in from across the country.
The GD rally is a counter action to the march and rally of the pro-European forces “Georgia chooses EU” that took place only three days earlier, and was attended by almost a hundred thousand people.
Preparations
In preparation for the rally, which was held on Freedom Square, the area, along with the kilometers-long Rustaveli Avenue, one of the main arteries of the capital, was blocked from the day earlier. No transport was allowed to move in the area, causing heavy traffic jams in other places. Police had earlier warned residents of the capital city to avoid using private cars. There have also been several reports that some street vendors in the area have been asked to leave earlier than they normally work.
Throughout the day a large part of the crowd at the ruling party’s final rally in Tbilisi was being bussed in from all over the country, as was the case at the GD’s previous rally in Tbilisi on April 29. According to media reports, many were civil servants allegedly under the sway of the ruling party.
Some reports also show people on buses avoiding journalists and their questions, telling the opposition-leaning media that they were going for a walk, a trip, a wedding, or other excuses that appeared to be false. Many tried to hide faces from the cameras.
Particularly viral was a report broadcast by opposition-leaning Mtavari TV, which allegedly showed the filled-in “wish list” by the Kutaisi (western Georgia) kindergarten employees, who were promised that their wishes would be fulfilled if they supported the ruling party.
In addition, many CCTV cameras have been installed in the narrow streets around Freedom Square, where the central stage is located.
The rally was preceded by a march to the Freedom Square with the participation of several GD MP candidates, including Olympic athletes Lasha Talakhadze and Geno Petriashvili, as well as MPs and leading GD figures Maka Botchorishvili, Anri Okhanashvili, Nikoloz Samkharadze, Nino Tsilosani, etc. Tsotne Ivanishvili, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s son, led the segment of the rally of the party’s youth organization.
Speeches
As in the previous rallies, five GD strongmen delivered speeches: party Chair Irakli Garibashvili, parliamentary majority leader Mamuka Mdinaradze, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. The topping speech by GD Honorary Chair Bidzina Ivanishvili was once again delivered from behind bulletproof glass, from a tribune set up specifically for him.
The speeches of the leaders of the GD were marked by odes to the role of the honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili in the development of Georgia and safeguarding Georgia from war, denunciation of the UNM and its past rule, unprecedentedly direct accusations against the “external” forces aimed at stirring up unrest in Georgia and dragging it into the war, assurances that Georgia won’t give up its sovereignty and freedom, and statements that Georgia won’t give up faith and dignity and will become a part of the EU.
Mayor Kakha Kaladze said: “Europe and Europeanism are values based on Christian foundations…” He added: “We want Europe and European future, but not in the way they tell us from outside. We won’t be anyone’s vassal, we won’t take orders from abroad, we won’t give up our interests, our sovereignty, independence and freedom, which we have earned with our blood…”.
No matter what internal or external enemies try, they won’t make the 3,000-year-old nation deviate from this path, he said, adding: “Georgia first! Our Motherland is first! This is our approach!”
He then recalled how in 2012 the Georgian people said now to the UNM, went on to talk about the UNM rule and how “the so-called friends” called Georgia a beacon of democracy and “today are trying by pressure and blackmail” how they are trying to bring back the UNM. Kaladze said: “They are directly interfering in the elections, in the political life of the country. The external forces can’t come to terms with the fact that Georgia did not share the fate of Ukraine, did not join the sanctions, they are trying to prove to us that back is white, transparency is anti-democratic, LGBT propaganda is a manifestation of humanism and liberalism”. He accused outside forces of supporting radical civil society organizations to create revolution and support extremism. He said these “radicals” won’t be able to come to power.
He called on the people to come to the polls, saying that it’s a decisive fight for the sovereignty and national identity of Georgia, concluding that Georgia will join Europe with “dignity”.
The speeches of the Chairman of the GD Irakli Garibashvili, the Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili and the Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze were similar in their messages and narratives.