UNM’s Sanikidze: No individual can lead public protest, victory requires consolidated opposition

“There were many of our supporters at yesterday’s rally. It was made clear once again that the Georgian people have not forgiven Ivanishvili for the fraud of the October 26 elections. Such rallies, held periodically — once a month or even several times a month — are an important message both inside the country and abroad to our partners, showing that the wave of protests in Georgia has not gone anywhere,” Levan Sanikidze, a member of the opposition United National Movement party, told journalists.

Sanikidze said a large number of people gathered, statements were made against Ivanishvili, and Western partners were able to see that the protests have not died down.

When asked about the ruling party’s claim that the rally had “failed,” Sanikidze responded: “By no means.”

“I don’t know what they call a failure. Free citizens gathered on Rustaveli Avenue and voiced their position that the country has an illegitimate parliament,” he said.

Sanikidze also commented on a statement by Federalists’ Giga Bokeria, which suggested that the rally was organised by his political force and should not have featured the ex-President Saakashvili’s banner. According to Sanikidze, no one should try to “claim ownership” of the protest.

“I don’t believe that the people who came were mobilised by the call of any single individual. This is a wider public process. Especially since Bokeria’s party did not even participate in the October 26 elections, this rally could not have been ‘his.’ This process cannot be led by any one man or woman. It will end in victory only through the full and genuine consolidation of healthy opposition forces.

This was a rally of many thousands. People gathered because this process belongs not only to political parties — it is, first of all, a public process, which political organisations are merely helping to facilitate,” Sanikidze said,” he added.