“June 20 marks the anniversary of ‘Gavrilov’s Night’, the anti-Russian uprising in the heart of Tbilisi that proved to the world that this nation will never accept Russian dominance. In observance of this day, I expressed my support for civil society organisations holding a rally on Rustaveli Avenue. Immediately, rather than stating they would stand with us, several opposition figures remarked with smug satisfaction: ‘It’s a Misha-backed rally; let’s see if he can pull it off,'” the former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, wrote on social media.

According to Saakashvili, this faction of the opposition, having abandoned any real ambition of removing Bidzina Ivanishvili from power, no longer conceals that their ultimate goal is his own neutralisation.

“They treated it as if it were a World Cup. Knowing that I am blocked from working freely from my prison cell, they saw a potential low turnout at the June 20 rally as their own personal victory over Misha. It is just like 2024, when we collectively failed to protect the votes; for them, that wasn’t a national defeat, it was a triumph over an imprisoned Misha.

In short, they have become utterly farcical. They no longer hide that their ultimate goal is my neutralisation, and they no longer even dream of removing Ivanishvili. Similarly, the departure of certain individuals from the United National Movement in 2023 was merely a manifestation of a loser’s complex. Unable to defeat Ivanishvili, they ‘defeated’ Misha instead.

The only group that has never accepted defeat, and never will, is the healthy core of the United National Movement. For decades, this party has possessed deeply loyal, intelligent, and hardworking supporters whom I value immensely.

At the same time, a constant process of renewal is underway, which we are now launching with renewed energy. Unlike the rest, we have absolutely no interest in competing with other opposition parties; our sole objective is to dismantle the dictatorship and restore dignity and a future to Georgia.

And indeed, I urge you all on June 20, and on any other day, to show that we are in no way inferior to the Azerbaijanis, Moldovans, or Armenians. Let us demonstrate that we will never tolerate the occupiers and their puppets. Regardless of our numbers, we must stand together and rally around the flag,” Mikheil Saakashvili wrote.