Leader of Youth Social Democratic party of Georgia representing “Georgian Dream” alliance Gia Giorgoliani considers Bidzina Ivanishvili’s decision to leave politics very important.
The beginning of the previous issue
– Georgian presidential elections will be held on October 27. What elections are expected to Georgia?
– I think that the political majoritarian candidate of “Georgian Dream”, Georgi Margvelashvili, will win in the first round. Our party is also supporting his candidacy.
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I think these elections will be the most democratic and transparent elections in the history of Georgia. There will be no manipulations and frauds. But, we must take into account the fact that the powers of the President are drastically reduced in Georgia. Back in 2010, Saakashvili’s government made constitutional amendments, because he could no longer be re-elected as president, he wanted to become a Prime Minister. Now, as per these amendments, the head of the Executive Body of Georgia’s will take over more extensive powers, and the president will have largely ceremonial functions. Accordingly, I do not think that there will be drastic changes in the course of policy of Georgia with respect to the president’s personality. Of course, it is important to know who the president is, what political party it represents and what person he is. I think that George Margvelashvili is a good candidate, and he can assume a serious political role in the current situation in Georgia in terms of having a positive impact on the events.
– Bidzina Ivanishvili announced that he would give up with politics. Is such a thing possible?
– You know, as of today, it is the most important, topical and interesting issue than the presidential elections in Georgia. It would probably be so. Frankly, I, like many other politicians, first were quite surprised at the decision and a little bit confused. But the more I think, the more I am convinced that it is a very important step in formation of a pluralistic political field and deepening of democratic processes in Georgia. I think we have rather charismatic Prime Minister enjoying the confidence of the majority of society. He has a great contribution to Georgia: it is the change of repressive and authoritarian regime.
Not everyone, including in Eastern Europe, think what happened in Georgia. A regime change took place in Georgia, and not a party loses and the other wins. There are no longer repressions in Georgia. There were great amnesties. The whole world knows what morals were prevailing in Georgian politics, everyone has seen the videos as to what was happening in Georgian prisons. There are more than 17 thousand personal videos. Think for yourself, 17 thousand videos in such a small country… all systems are working on it: people were tortured, subjected to blackmail. But all of that is over, people are free, they are not afraid. Now, of course, there are difficulties in the sense of building a truly democratic society and democratic political environment. To this effect, I give much importance to LGU elections to be held in May next year. I think they will be truly democratic, which will emerge new political flows, which will occupy their places in the political sector of Georgia.
Bidzina Ivanishvili’s step as such, in my opinion, enables all old and new political units for actual aggregation of own interests, so this is, in my opinion, a very positive step in the direction of further democratic development of Georgia.
Interviewer Nelly GRIGORYAN
