When political prisoners are released, it is a cause for joy, but such a decision carries a political cost for “Lelo” and, among them, for Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze – this is how Giorgi Butikashvili, a member of the political union “Coalition for Change,” assessed the pardon issued by Mikheil Kavelashvili for the release of Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze.
As Butikashvili stated on the “Palitra News” program “Day’s Newsroom,” we need to see Kavelashvili’s pardon in the full context together with the earlier statement by Giorgi Gakharia that they should enter parliament.
According to Butikashvili, the form of Khazaradze and Japaridze’s pardon directly indicates that the purpose of the pardon is to grant legitimacy for the local elections, for parliament, and for the government.
He also noted in this context that as soon as any political actor starts playing with Ivanishvili, they will inevitably lose.
“Recent polls show that ‘Lelo’s’ voter base has decreased due to the decision to participate in the October 4 elections. A large part of society – 54% – does not agree with participation in the local elections and considers the process illegitimate. ‘Lelo’s’ decision to participate in the elections, combined with Kavelashvili’s decision to pardon their leaders, will nullify their rating. Bidzina Ivanishvili always plays with people, plays with politics, trying to nullify political parties as much as possible and portray them as inconsistent – not following structural politics, saying one thing today, doing another tomorrow, and a third the day after. This is exactly what he illustrates.
Now, when Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze come out of prison, what will they do – will they simply join the campaign? It seems they intend to!
I don’t think a direct deal was made, but a non-verbal deal occurred when one side chose to grant legitimacy to parliament and the local elections. This raises the question: is this a direct deal or compliance with the rules set by Ivanishvili? Our party leaders ended up in prison because they did not comply with these rules, and no one will pardon them. Our main position is moral clarity and strengthening consistent politics.
What a grotesque image it is when, on the one hand, young women and men are sent to prison for two years, and at the same time, ‘Lelo’ conducts a campaign talking about water supply, which is in dissonance with public sentiment and the drama caused by ‘Georgian Dream.’
‘Lelo’ and Giorgi Gakharia’s party have chosen, and with this decision, ‘Georgian Dream’ confirmed their systemic so-called opposition, which gives ‘Georgian Dream’ the appearance of competition. When dictatorship consolidates and democracy is only a façade, the existence of such parties is important so they can participate in the façade and everyone can be deceived. No matter what ‘Lelo’ and Gakharia say, by participating in the October 4 elections, they granted legitimacy to the dictator, and this was confirmed by the pardon!” – said Giorgi Butikashvili.
In his view, Kavelashvili’s pardon also confirms that “Georgian Dream” struggles to gain legitimacy, and this fact worries them.
“Do you think they wouldn’t be worried if they pardoned Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze?! If they were standing firmly on their feet, they wouldn’t have taken this step. The pardon is a sign of desperation!
Any Georgian who opposes the regime and stands in the streets is valuable. It doesn’t matter who it is – ‘Lelo’ or a member of ‘Georgian Dream’ who realizes it is Russian, Putin’s power. But ‘Lelo,’ against this protest background, is creating an electoral campaign, promising voters free goods. This angers a sincere person who has been on the streets for 280 days in the cold, wind, misfortune, and repression. Therefore, the anger is logical when a collaborating party does not take the fire – in the fire, you need fire, not water that neutralizes everything. This is the mood of the protest. They have a chance to say that they will no longer participate in elections.
Let’s see the full picture: Kavelashvili’s pardon and Gakharia’s earlier statement that they should enter parliament, which prepared the ground for 12 deputies to enter. Look how it fell into place – Gakharia prepared the background, Kavelashvili pardoned them. ‘Georgian Dream’ is trying to get Gakharia’s party into parliament with 12 deputies, thus granting legitimacy to parliament. ‘Lelo’ participates in the local elections, and with the pardon of their leaders, Kavelashvili was given legitimacy, because it is clear they will comply with this decision – with the help of these two institutions, these two parties gained legitimacy. This is the full picture, and this is what happens when you collaborate and play Bidzina’s game. Gakharia and Mamuka Khazaradze effectively burned themselves, blew themselves up, and Bidzina benefited from it. The cake that Bidzina handed them turned out to be a bomb, and both exploded. One ran away, sitting in Germany, giving instructions from there. Kavelashvili also benefited, perceiving himself as the president because of the pardon. Parliament benefited, where 12 members of Gakharia’s party will enter. This is what we see on the surface – what happened behind the scenes and who made what deals, we don’t know, but the fact is clear,” – said Butikashvili.
Giorgi Butikashvili: With the pardon, Kavelashvili was given legitimacy, and the parliament gains legitimacy too, because members of Gakharia’s party will enter it – this is what happens when you play Bidzina’s game: Gakharia and Khazaradze “burned themselves,” and the cake Bidzina handed them turned out to be a bomb
