The ruling team should use constitutional mechanisms and announce that the epoch of one-party governance will end in Georgia in October 2019 by holding early parliamentary elections, – presidential candidate Davit Usupashvili said at today’s briefing.

He called on independent presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili to influence the ruling party before the presidential elections and make a relevant statement about holding elections next year.

“The ruling party’s presidential candidate avoids debates with me. Therefore, I have to address her through this briefing and remind her that she became a member of the ruling political team on her own will and is now responsible for the action or inaction of this team.

A fierce struggle for power is underway without rules in the country. We do not know who will be the winner of this fight, but we can see how Georgia and Georgian people are being defeated. The political crisis should be defused by political initiatives of the ruling team and not by “black campaign” or by saying: “I am better than the National Movement”.

The ruling team should use constitutional mechanisms and announce that the epoch of one-party governance will be completed in Georgia in October 2019, by holding early parliamentary elections.

Such a political initiative would defuse the crisis. Tomorrow this may not be enough. Today the presidential candidate has a leverage to influence the ruling team, while after the elections, even if she wins it, she will no longer have this leverage.

I call on Salome Zurabishvili to be able to do it until October 28 and prove that she wanted the alliance with the Dream for serving her country and not for becoming a president.

I advise her not to repeat my mistake. In October 2014, I addressed the Coalition’s Political Board with an extensive list of systemic problems and Bidzina Ivanishvili promised me support. But the problem remained the same, while those who talked about the problems, were removed from power,” Usupashvili said.