Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday addressed the ruling Georgian Dream party supporters at a closing pre-election rally in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, claiming that “In 2022, we saved Georgia from war and destruction.”

According to the Speaker, “Everyone clearly saw, either unconsciously or intentionally, how Georgia was being pushed to destroy itself, what kind of pressure there was from inside and outside to make Georgia lose its footing.”

“When we inquired about the economic repercussions resulting from joining the sanctions, we received no assurances regarding economic or financial guarantees.

The Speaker called it “a choice between war and peace, destruction and construction, loss of statehood and strengthening of sovereignty.”

“At that time, we were presented with a choice between willing submission and forceful subjugation. We neither submitted nor allowed ourselves to be dragged along because our people stood behind us – because behind us stood our Abkhaz and Ossetian fellow citizens, whom they were urging us to march against through their provocative ‘walks’ in Sokhumi and Tskhinvali.

Therefore, we must win with the constitutional majority, so that no one dares to drag us into riots and we can unite our country in peace”, he added.

The parliamentary elections in Georgia are slated for 26 October.