Restoring Georgia’s territorial integrity is a crucial task that must be pursued peacefully, and it is unacceptable to address these issues behind closed doors just weeks before elections without informing the citizens, said Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the For Georgia party.

Gakharia emphasized that Bidzina Ivanishvili must clarify his plans for restoring territorial integrity, including the conditions and framework for doing so.

“For several weeks during the election campaign, Ivanishvili has been demanding an apology from the citizens of Georgia, but it is unclear for whom. At the same time, he insists on a constitutional majority for the possible restoration of territorial integrity after the elections without explaining how he intends to achieve this,” Gakharia stated.

He noted that Russia’s Foreign Minister has clearly stated that the situation regarding Georgia remains unchanged, with no intention to withdraw troops or revoke recognition of the occupied territories.

Gakharia called on Ivanishvili to respect the citizens of Georgia and provide answers regarding territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“It is evident that Ivanishvili is avoiding debates due to fear. However, I urge him to respect the citizens of Georgia by addressing the issues of territorial integrity and sovereignty. If he cannot participate in a debate, then when he is in Zugdidi on October 15, demanding an apology from the citizens or seeking a constitutional majority, he should at least answer the following questions:

In what form and under what conditions does he envision restoring Georgia’s territorial integrity, especially when neither Russia nor the proxy regimes in the occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali have changed their positions regarding these territories?

For what type of state and constitutional changes does he require a constitutional majority?

Given the current confrontation with the West and Georgia’s resulting isolation, as well as the government’s position in blaming the country for the start of the war, is the non-recognition policy at risk? How does he intend to protect this policy?

Ivanishvili can only discuss peace, sovereignty, and the country’s integration if he provides public answers to these questions. Otherwise, any similar issues raised during the pre-election period will be perceived as further attempts to mislead the public, posing a significant risk to the potential restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity,” Gakharia concluded.