“Our political team takes full responsibility for the mistake that we committed for the last year concerning parliamentary boycott, and unlike others, we admit that,” said Giorgi Sharashidze, a member of the Gakharia for Georgia party’s Political Council at the plenary.

According to Sharashidze, parliamentary boycott as a form of political protest failed to stop the Georgian Dream’s violent machine from making destructive decisions and to prevent renunciation of the European future, adopting anti-democratic, human rights undermining laws and from violence against peaceful civilians.

“Amid a total campaign of boycott and the October 4 peaceful overthrow, which was propagated with diligence by the government media, one part of the population was convinced that peaceful overthrow was possible as a tool to make political changes in the country. The Georgian Dream, meanwhile, which, due to various crimes and violence, faced an acute crisis of legitimacy, was allowed to gain time and intimidate the population with worse alternatives and reality. With this fear factor, you gradually managed to recollect your lost voters and, as a result of the October 4 irresponsible special operation, an additional basis was created for you to overcome the legitimacy crisis.

However, unless confrontation and artificially fueled radicalisation, those factors that pushed the country to the brink of conflict, are addressed, you will not be able to avoid responsibility, at least for failing to prevent this provocation. Nor will those irresponsible provocateurs escape accountability, whether they participated directly or indirectly in organising or inciting the peaceful overthrow on October 4. This includes both perpetrators and those who, as unwitting pawns, urged people to join the peaceful uprising instead of participating in the elections,” he said.

Giorgi Sharashidze remarked that this page cannot be turned until a mistake is assessed as a mistake and crime, as crime.

“Despite everything, our primary value is the Georgian people, who are, on the one hand, victims of deception and propaganda, and on the other hand, disappointed by opposition politicians. With respect for the Georgian people and acknowledging our failure to provide a better alternative, by renouncing the mandate entrusted to us by the people and leaving you alone in this hall, we are prepared to face this challenge. We are ready to return people’s voice and different viewpoints in the parliament, which belongs neither to you nor any other party, but belongs only to the Georgian people, who turned defenceless in the face of the Georgian Dream’s propagandist regime, which regrettably rules the country with laws based on which many people are arrested today,” he stated.

Giorgi Sharashidze believes that the only way to overcome this difficult situation is to restore all political tools and platforms designed for the people, ensuring they are truly serving the interests of the populace.

“The truth is bitter, and you will have to hear this bitter truth from us in the parliament, and you will have to live with this. From today, the parliament will no longer be your party’s office, and you will hear people’s voices and different viewpoints! We believe that we will achieve free elections through a principled and uncompromising struggle against the violent Georgian Dream regime, we will restore fair public order and regain our country’s democratic, European future,” Giorgi Sharashidze concluded.