“Ivanishvili’s desire is to create a locked fortress where everyone follows him to the grave—just as when a pharaoh died, they would bury his favorite dog, horse, cat, and in some tribes, even family members with him! His approach is this: those I created, those I made rich and allowed to plunder the budget, must be my slaves and fight alongside me. If they sanction me? Let them sanction you! If they kill me? Let them kill you!” said former parliament member Roman Gotsiridze, explaining the processes involving former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili and former SSS head Grigol Liluashvili.
According to Gotsiridze, Ivanishvili is humiliating and morally destroying Gharibashvili, “greedily showcasing golden trinkets and chains.”
In an appearance on PalitraNews’ program “Day’s Newsroom,” Gotsiridze stated that, according to Ivanishvili’s logic, the country has been governed by corrupt individuals and traitors for the past 13 years.
“The main question is: why did Bidzina Ivanishvili decide to morally destroy and publicly humiliate Gharibashvili? What does it mean to start this process against two influential figures, Irakli Gharibashvili and Grigol Liluashvili?
In Bidzina Ivanishvili’s view, he brought in a 20-year-old boy, and whatever wealth was amassed was due to the money he provided or the privileges he granted Gharibashvili during his two terms as Prime Minister. Ivanishvili’s approach is this: I created you, I brought you in as a poor boy, you accumulated great wealth, you had millions at home, and now you want to break away from me? There are two aspects to Ivanishvili’s actions. One is personal—a matter of personal revenge, feelings, and fears: ‘God forbid someone cooperates with the U.S.’ This particularly applies to Grigol Liluashvili, who has vast information about Ivanishvili. The second reason is non-personal—when an authoritarian regime is being established, the steps being taken now have been followed by all such regimes worldwide. Every authoritarian regime behaves this way: they must create a syndrome of international threat, a model of agents, select a foreign enemy and foreign agents, isolate the country internationally, and make everyone oppose the sole leader. Ivanishvili has been methodically doing this for three years. The second part is traitors—agents, the ‘deep state,’ and enemies of the people!
For 13 years, they haven’t detained a single corrupt individual, and now Ivanishvili suddenly remembers corruption?
The goal is internal terror, characteristic of authoritarian regimes—consolidation of internal power, creating an image that the leader is opposed by all, with enemies both inside and out, and personal revenge against specific individuals.
When Ivanishvili removed Gharibashvili from the Prime Minister’s post, he didn’t expel him from the team and appointed him as party chairman. There were numerous reports on TV that Gharibashvili wasn’t showing up at the office, and his son was studying in the U.S. Gharibashvili’s stance was: ‘Mr. Bidzina, you made me rich, I served you for so many years, let me go and live my life!’ He wanted to escape. Ivanishvili’s position is this: ‘No way, they’re sanctioning me, sanctioning my family, tomorrow they might arrest me or isolate me, so you must stay by my side!’ Suspicions arise: Why hasn’t Gharibashvili been sanctioned? Why hasn’t Liluashvili been sanctioned, when Gomiashvili is on the Magnitsky List? Are they secretly cooperating with the U.S.? Are they betraying me?
With Liluashvili, this line is clearly evident. I call it the Kvirikashvili syndrome. Giorgi Kvirikashvili was the most effective Prime Minister. He started the construction of the Anaklia port, visited the U.S., and was liked for his cultured and non-extravagant demeanor. The U.S. Vice President invited him to his ranch. As soon as he returned, Ivanishvili began to despise him and removed him from the Prime Minister’s post, citing child poverty in the country.
Ivanishvili is creating a regime where everyone becomes his soldier,” said Roman Gotsiridze.
According to Gotsiridze, Bidzina Ivanishvili has shown the public that all his Prime Ministers and Presidents are either corrupt or traitors.
“Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Giorgi Gakharia, and Irakli Gharibashvili twice were traitors and corrupt. All his Presidents are traitors.
‘Georgian Dream’ itself has confirmed what the people know: there is total plundering in the country, and everyone is stealing! It’s no surprise that Ivanishvili finds it worthwhile to showcase 11 million in cash, gold earrings, and ‘trinkets’ to the public, accepting this damage rather than the damage he fears,” said Roman Gotsiridze.
Roman Gotsiridze: Ivanishvili’s desire is for everyone to follow him to the grave – his approach is: I created you, I made you rich, I let you plunder the budget, so you must be my slaves – If they sanction me? Let them sanction you! If they kill me? Let them kill you!
