“October 4 was a celebration of democracy because it demonstrated that all of this was preceded by calls for a coup d’état and the overthrow of the government. We witnessed support from external sources, indirectly at first, and, unfortunately, even direct backing from abroad, including for the pre-announced gathering aimed at a coup,” stated the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili.

According to Papuashvili, democracy triumphed. The Georgian people did not go on October 4 at 4:00 a.m. to overthrow their country; rather, they went to the polling stations from 8:00 a.m. to express their political will.

“The Georgian people have prevailed. Those who sought to overthrow the nation, to drag it back to the chaos of the 1990s, and who staged scenes reminiscent of those dark times on the evening of October 4, scenes many remember from black-and-white footage, were defeated. The only difference is that those images are now newer, though the content and malicious intent remain the same as what we observed.

I would like to once again congratulate everyone on a successful election. Special congratulations go to our colleague, Mr. Davit Kodua, who was elected Mayor of Zugdidi. He is not here today in the session hall; he is in Zugdidi, already busy with the responsibilities awaiting him as mayor for the next four years. This is a great responsibility, and we wish him all the best,” Papuashvili said.

The Parliament Speaker emphasised the importance of fulfilling the promise made by the ruling team to voters, that mayoral candidates would win outright in the first round in all 64 municipalities.

“Among them, in Tsalenjikha, the Georgian Dream regained its majority. This once again demonstrates the wisdom of our people; they observe everything, analyse carefully, and can distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong. They make wise decisions.

For this, I would like to thank the Georgian people once more, on behalf of our parliament, and to acknowledge the voters who, once again, took a wise step on October 4 through their active participation in the democratic process. Thank you to the Georgian people for this support,” Papuashvili concluded.