Gakharia’s Sharashidze: We lost battle for public opinion, but war will still be won
“Today, two sides are celebrating the fact that the boycott took place. Georgian Dream is rejoicing because, with only 215,000 votes, just 20 per cent support, they have elected an “80 per cent” Mayor in Tbilisi. Meanwhile, it remains unclear what exactly the United National Movement is celebrating. Ultimately, the country has suffered. The boycott has triumphed; Georgia has been defeated,” declared Giorgi Sharashidze, one of the leaders of the Gakharia for Georgia party and a member of its political council, during a briefing.
According to him, this chapter cannot be closed until a mistake is recognised as a mistake, and a crime as a crime.
“The reality is that there is a demand for societal change, but it must be achieved peacefully, as was confirmed on October 4. We want to thank all those who, despite the attacks and blackmail, came out to vote in these difficult circumstances and placed their trust in us. Every voter at the ballot box has made it clear that the only path to development and stability for our country, alongside meaningful political change, is through the democratic process, not street protests.
Since day one, we have maintained that a change of government in Georgia must never be achieved through violence. October 4 became possible because of a series of mistakes or inactions:
1. The political process was undermined when the parliament, formed after fraudulent elections, was boycotted, leaving only the streets as an alternative.2. We failed to convince society that boycotting was not a politically justified or effective way to pursue change.3. We did not succeed in rallying public support around the idea that revolutionary or overthrow scenarios were misguided.4. And in our fight against the Georgian Dream, we overlooked the fundamental truth that if you do not defeat the UNM, you cannot defeat the Georgian Dream.
All these factors brought us to the realisation that, in Tbilisi, a city of one million voters, the mayor, who received only 215,000 votes and had previously lost the city by a substantial margin, has now been positioned as the figurehead. Sadly, we collectively surrendered Tbilisi to the corrupt Kaladze and the aggressive Georgian Dream. Both peaceful protest and electoral processes as methods of peaceful change were discredited, giving the Georgian Dream party the opportunity to entrench its authoritarian regime further.
When participating in these unfair, unbalanced elections, we understood that any outcome was possible. Despite everything, our primary commitment remains to respect the Constitution and its institutions. We accept responsibility for this situation. We are carefully analysing all circumstances and reasons, not turning away from reality, and we acknowledge defeat even in an unfair contest.
Regrettably, we have lost the battle for public opinion. However, though we may have lost one battle, the war is far from over; we will win it.
The Georgian Dream and United National Movement share one ambition: to eliminate the Gakharia for Georgia party from the political landscape. But if anyone can free the Georgian people from the grip of these radical forces, it is our political team. After this inevitable stage of struggle, we will proceed with a renewed plan,” stated Giorgi Sharashidze.