“Georgian Dream” is trying to normalize relations with the U.S. government, and we found traces of their lobbyists there, but no matter how authoritarian you are, it’s impossible to maintain solid influence if the U.S. does not recognize you as a legitimate government, said Levan Sanikidze, one of the leaders of the “United National Movement,” during an appearance on PalitraNews’ program “Day’s Newsroom”.
According to him, during their visit to the U.S., the leaders of the “United National Movement” conveyed all the concerns troubling the Georgian people and presented these issues to their partners.
“We brought to the U.S. all the messages that concern the Georgian people, all the problems that Ivanishvili has created, especially over the past year. We also discussed the authoritarian steps ‘Georgian Dream’ is taking against the Georgian state, issues concerning political prisoners and the media, the halting of European integration, and Georgia’s alarmingly rapid rapprochement with Russia, China, and Iran. The conversation also touched on the Anaklia port. There is a formed consensus in the Senate and Congress regarding the nature of the ‘Georgian Dream’ government. ‘Georgian Dream’ is attempting to normalize relations with the U.S. government, both its executive and legislative branches, and we found traces of their lobbyists there. However, no matter how authoritarian you are, it’s impossible to maintain solid influence if the U.S. does not recognize you as a legitimate government.
Regarding the ‘MEGOBARI Act,’ there are procedural issues that will be resolved. We saw that an additional act was passed in Congress alongside the State Department Authorization Act, to which the ‘MEGOBARI Act’ is tied, so increased foreign pressure is possible. However, this is impossible without activism within the country. Protecting the state interests of Georgia is the number one obligation, which includes removing Ivanishvili’s government,” Sanikidze stated.
Regarding critical statements made by “Georgian Dream” members against U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson, Levan Sanikidze stated that Joe Wilson is a great friend of Georgia.
“Joe Wilson is a great friend of Georgia, a person deeply in love with this country, whose main goal is to support people and citizens fighting for freedom in certain states. Joe Wilson, along with his colleagues, supports the aspirations of the Georgian people.
As for the funds our opponents talk about, the ‘United National Movement’ is in a severe financial crisis. We had to sell our central office, and part of the financial resources obtained from that sale was decided by the party to be spent, yes, on increasing foreign pressure against the ‘Georgian Dream’ regime. There is a lobbying company in the U.S. motivated by issues concerning Georgia, the ‘MEGOBARI Act,’ the release of political prisoners – Mikheil Saakashvili, now Levan Khabeishvili, and other political leaders – and exposing Ivanishvili’s regime. It is focused on this country’s fight for freedom. Ivanishvili’s tactic is to ensure that the White House, the State Department, Congress, or the Senate forget about Georgia, that the Georgian state disappears from the agenda and is placed in the lowest folder,” Sanikidze stated.
Regarding other issues, Levan Sanikidze also spoke about the rally announced in parallel with the local elections on October 4. According to him, the main driver of this fight is the Georgian people, and the success of this protest depends on how many people come out to Rustaveli Avenue.
“Instead of these so-called 3,000 polling stations, the epicenter of events will be Rustaveli Avenue.
Naturally, the detention of Levan Khabeishvili, the chairman of our party’s political council, is a significant blow to this process, but this does not mean we should retreat or lay down our arms. On the contrary, it motivates many of our comrades. The fact is that Levan Khabeishvili’s activism, his rhetoric, and his information about the situation within ‘Georgian Dream’ were tough and difficult for both ‘Georgian Dream’ high-ranking officials and their ordinary supporters. ‘Georgian Dream,’ which claims to have a stable government that no one can challenge, realized that something might come out of this, so they restricted Levan’s contact with the outside world.
As for Kobakhidze’s threat, where he threatens us with the new management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I’ll say that they are now busy somehow filling their ranks. He can threaten his own team members – former Prime Ministers and the SSS chief – and let them start shooting at each other. We plan to carry out the protest legally and peacefully within the framework of the Constitution; they must not lose control. On November 28, who lost control, us or them? When they broke the facial bones of 400 people and sexually harassed women in police cars and stations, who lost control then? The people who are now in prison were defending this country, and not a single police officer has been detained. Let Geka Geladze send this threat to Irakli Gharibashvili and Grigol Liluashvili!” Sanikidze stated.
Regarding the stance that “citizens should go to the polls in the morning and to Rustaveli Avenue in the evening,” Levan Sanikidze said, “There won’t be a controller on Rustaveli Avenue selling tickets to anyone. Accordingly, whoever wants to will go and stand there.”
“The host is the Georgian people, and there will be no opposition [to those participating in the elections], but for the society present there, these people have made, to put it mildly, a catastrophic mistake. When women were being abused on Melikishvili Avenue, and at the same time, a fake ‘event’ on urban issues is held with photos of cats, is this an attempt to normalize the situation? Sanctions prepared for Ivanishvili in European capitals are not being imposed because some states are waiting to see what happens on October 4. If we all said that these elections are not legitimate, dismantling Ivanishvili’s government would be a technical process. The vision of the opposition parties participating in the elections is that the protest is dead, and they don’t believe in the Georgian people’s protest,” Sanikidze stated.
Regarding the case of the explosive substance “Hexogen” being brought into Georgia and statements by “Georgian Dream” about its possible connection to the October 4 rally and the Ukrainian special services, Levan Sanikidze stated that the “United National Movement” has no connection with the Ukrainian special services.
“We have no connection and will not have any. I specifically reviewed the number of cases initiated under this charge by the ‘Georgian Dream’ government – in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and now before the elections, they initiated a case because their propaganda constantly needs some fuel. The goal is to have fewer people come out to Rustaveli Avenue. Ivanishvili’s fear is seeing hundreds of thousands of people on Rustaveli Avenue. This process is being observed both outside and inside the country, and it’s also a problem for the opposition participating in these pseudo-elections. This will be the start of a new wave of protests, which may end on the same day. This is the face of ‘Georgian Dream’ – posing as a lover of Russia, a defender of sovereignty and Christian values, while the chairman of the Gori City Council called Russians ‘peacekeepers’ and Georgian soldiers ‘marauders,’ and declared Ukrainians as enemies. That’s how this government has turned everything upside down.
They are also very nervous about the fate of the opposition parties participating in the elections, claiming that we are bullying them and preventing people from going to the polls. Why are they upset about this? Let them refrain from supporting the opposition that entered this Russian special operation, where they should not have gone,” Sanikidze stated.
Levan Sanikidze: “Georgian Dream” is attempting to normalize relations with the U.S. government, but we found traces of their lobbyists there; October 4 will be the start of a new wave of protests, which may end on the same day
