“When we see that the ruling regime is completely abolishing the Georgian political space, has some fake parliament that no one in the world recognizes, and you join it—that is not swimming against the current; it is joining the river of falsehood, which is what Gakharia did. He fled Georgia, and now he has gone back to his master on bended knee, begging: ‘Let me enter parliament, I’ll make your so-called parliament look legitimate,'” said Nugzar Tsiklauri, a representative of the “Coalition for Change,” commenting on the decision by the “Gakharia – For Georgia” party to end its boycott and enter the 11th convocation of Parliament.
Speaking on PalitraNews program “Day’s Newsroom,” Tsiklauri stated that Gakharia apparently never went far from “Georgian Dream,” and their appearance in parliament today confirms this.
“First and foremost, I would link this to the results of the recent local elections, where Gakharia lost 70% of his voters. For any political party, this is a real electoral collapse. It seems that when political parties lose such trust from their own voters and are rejected by their supporters, there is always a place for them in the ranks of ‘Georgian Dream.’
The fact that they are entering this so-called parliament today clearly demonstrates their loyalty to the ‘principles’ of this political force. They said they would never legitimize this fake parliament, and today they enter it—let the voters judge. I think the 70% they lost in the last elections will turn into an even larger and more crushing number. You know, swimming against the current can be difficult and, in some cases, highly admirable—when it is a current of injustice and you oppose it in the name of truth. But when we see that the ruling regime is completely abolishing the Georgian political space, has some fake parliament that no one in the world recognizes, and you join it—that is not swimming against the current; it is joining the river of falsehood, which is what Gakharia did. Of course, this is a step taken by Gakharia’s party after a major defeat and collapse; it will be duly assessed by Georgian voters, and I believe such an opposition party simply no longer exists in the Georgian political space. It has become part of the regime. It is no longer even systemic opposition,” Tsiklauri stated.
According to him, by entering parliament with his party, Gakharia is trying to atone for his momentary opposition to “Georgian Dream.”
“He fled Georgia, no longer wishing to be directly involved in the processes; now he has gone back to his master on bended knee, begging: ‘Let me enter parliament, I’ll make your so-called parliament look legitimate.’ This is to atone for the personal grudges that exist between Ivanishvili and his former prime minister,” Tsiklauri said.
Regarding the issue of banning parties, Tsiklauri stated that all logic—political and the logic of the Georgian people’s struggle for freedom—indicates that no one will accept Georgia becoming a one-party state resembling Asian despotism.
“The struggle must continue, and if there is anyone now giving impulse to political parties and everyone else, it is the people who do not bow to this regime. In 30 years, I have seen many times people taking to the streets, but it is unprecedented and unique that so many protesters are deliberately entering prison.
Public groups, active individuals, writers, journalists, singers—everyone, the entire Georgian society—must oppose this, and in principle, this is already happening, but this movement must become broader. To be honest, I see fewer students there, and I remember that in the past, students were more active. But now, when Ivanishvili’s rusty sword has also touched the education system, they will no longer have the opportunity to continue their studies at European universities.
This is not about banning political activity for Nugzar Tsiklauri or telling any leader that you cannot participate anywhere; this affects everyone—when freedom of expression is restricted, it affects every person,” Nugzar Tsiklauri stated.
He added that “Georgian Dream” is seeing its real, ideological supporters dwindle more and more.
“When the number of your ideological supporters decreases, political discussion no longer suits you. Why should someone appear on TV, be listened to by others, and have people say, ‘This guy is right’? When there is one leader, you might not even see that leader sometimes; his decisions will be conveyed by other serfs and political slaves, and there will be no one to respond. I want everyone to understand clearly: this is not banning parties; this is banning journalism, literature, and sharing European values. This is renouncing everything that embodies Georgian traditional culture,” Nugzar Tsiklauri stated.
According to him, there is now a different struggle that requires more unity. Tsiklauri said that all political parties and public groups must find ways to reach each other despite differences.
Nugzar Tsiklauri: It is unprecedented and unique that so many protesters are deliberately entering prison, while Gakharia’s party has become part of the regime – Gakharia is trying to atone for the grudge that existed between him and Ivanishvili
