One of the leaders of the Girchi party, Iago Khvichia, believes that the opposition’s boycott of parliament is a mistake.

“If you don’t enter parliament and choose this path, you must take the revolutionary path as a counterweight, because you’re heading toward revolution. If you’re not arranging a revolution, then don’t let those people, arrested because of you, languish in prison,” Khvichia noted.

According to Khvichia, while the primary responsibility for the arrests undeniably lies with the Georgian Dream, there is also accountability on those who incited these individuals, then stepped back, failing to consider how to secure their release from prison.

“If I could tell my voters, ‘Be smart, people: don’t do it, don’t go forward, don’t fight, don’t engage in clashes with the police — they will arrest you, and we won’t be able to help you’ — if I could say that, couldn’t others have said it too? However, you need to sit down, talk, and explain each other’s strengths and weaknesses to plan such a strategy; lay all your cards on the table so we can fight together.

What did they actually do? They suddenly quit their mandates in a huff, which suited the Georgian Dream. In my opinion, this either happened in a deal with the Georgian Dream or to serve their own purposes, to ensure that the result Bidzina aimed for, 97-3, would be reflected in parliament. But in reality, the result was roughly 54-40. That didn’t suit the GD; they needed a higher number. Well, sir, they achieved a higher result, as it is. Ask me what hope I have — I hope that the Georgian people will come to their senses,” Iago Khvichia stated on Rustavi 2 TV.