Lela Jejelava stated on the “Day’s Newsroom” program on Palitra News: “I understand the bickering and sarcasm of the ‘Georgian Dream’ representatives regarding October 4, but I don’t understand what Gakharia has to say. On what basis is he supposed to teach any political party a lesson? He is an ordinary opposition politician who still hasn’t stepped out of the role of prime minister.
In my assessment, Giorgi Gakharia ‘hasn’t fought more than anyone else’ and hasn’t distinguished himself in any way while in the opposition.
I understand the bickering and some sarcasm of the ‘Georgian Dream’ representatives regarding October 4, although they do it in a very lowly way, which shouldn’t be the case. But again, I don’t understand what Gakharia has to say. On what basis should he teach any political party a lesson? Is his current position such that he has the right to do so? A specific politician attacked him at the Sheraton Batumi, and he wasn’t even able to see that investigation through to the end; he couldn’t exert enough pressure on the government. A prime minister, who is rejected even by his own team—and I don’t consider that some kind of minus—what kind of distinction can he claim while being in the opposition? Absolutely none. If people were leaving political teams one by one, and then, in councils or elsewhere, Gakharia’s people were opposing ‘Georgian Dream’ majorities, that was it. He couldn’t even choose his team in a way that maintained internal stability. Why does he always think he’s smarter than everyone else? What he calls pragmatism and teaches us from abroad, we also call pragmatism, not running away from the battlefield. He is not Ayatollah Khomeini to be brought down. He had other support. Gakharia is just an ordinary opposition politician who still hasn’t stepped out of the prime minister role and thinks he’s still speaking as the prime minister.”
Regarding the protest announced by some opposition parties for October 4, Jejelava said that “society is ready for victory and for the return of the government.”
“If anything is hindering Georgian politics and why we are in the situation we are today, it is because our politicians, including those in the opposition, often lack a consistent approach. No one has denied cause-and-effect relationships; the world still operates on this principle. If you say that Bidzina Ivanishvili took away the opportunity for elections on October 26 and thus undermined the most important principle of democracy—the peaceful transfer of power—then what has changed in the three months since this decision by political parties? By the way, I don’t like clenching fists over facts that have already occurred because it’s meaningless. We must accept this as a given and find solutions from the circumstances we have.
Regarding October 4 and related expectations: expectations do not arise in a vacuum. This is partly human psychology. You receive information according to your perception. If we examine public sentiment, we see that society is ready for victory and the return of power. That is the main point. Even those who may not vote, such as ‘Lelo’ supporters, still feel that the power, which comes from the people, should be taken from Bidzina Ivanishvili’s government. This is the general sentiment, which we can use effectively on October 4. October 4 will show the strength and energy on Rustaveli Avenue that day.
October 4 is a public gathering—Georgian people VS Bidzina Ivanishvili. Any political party that decides to stand with the Georgian people will make its own choice. The event and the national assembly on October 4 cannot be declared as the specific action of either the ‘United National Movement’ or any other political party. The responsibility of the UNM is exactly the same as mine or any ordinary person attending,” Jejelava said.
Additionally, Jejelava spoke about the possibilities for “resetting” Georgia’s relations with the European Union and the United States and noted that ‘Georgian Dream’ has no resources to reset relations with either the EU or the US, and therefore with the entire civilized world.
“Yesterday [speaking about Marta Kose’s arrival in Georgia], a ‘Georgian Dream’ mayoral candidate openly said—this was not a slip—that ‘the farther such people are, the better.’ How should this be interpreted? This is the position of ‘Georgian Dream,’ which refuses not only relations with the EU but with the civilized world in general. This is Ivanishvili’s mission in Georgia: to cut the country off from the Western political orbit and turn it into a small province under Russia’s influence in the Caucasus,” Jejelava said.
Furthermore, Jejelava commented on the proposal by American Republican Congressman Joe Wilson to include a correction in the US State Department Authorization Act recognizing the “Georgian Nightmare” as unrecognized. According to the analyst, this “is definitely a document to be supported.”
“The State Department Authorization Act is a necessary procedure that must go to a vote. Naturally, it will have support. Of course, there will be issues that may be subject to discussion, but this is definitely a supportive document. Attaching the ‘MEGOBARI Act’ to it, which also has bipartisan support, means that the chances for the ‘MEGOBARI Act’ to pass more easily are increasing,” Lela Jejelava stated.
Lela Jejelava: I understand the “Dream” party’s sarcasm about October 4, but what does Gakharia have to say? On what basis is he supposed to teach others a lesson? He hasn’t fought more than anyone else – he thinks he’s still the prime minister and hasn’t moved on from that role
