Ivanishvili on Banning Opposition Parties: One Who Is an Enemy of the People Should Be Banned

Ivanishvili again spoke about the ruling party's main election promise - the prosecution of the United National Movement and the banning of opposition parties. He called the National Movement a criminal party, naming the 2008 Russia-Georgia war as its "biggest crime," which he claimed was done deliberately, under orders from outside forces.

"Anyone who is an enemy of the people and an enemy of the country should be banned. There are many examples of this around the world. Today alone, 13 or 18 opposition parties have been registered for the elections. This force has resources. Georgian Dream is a transparent, understandable and patriotic force. If someone has a positive desire, those who love their country and are patriotic immediately become members of Georgian Dream. A force like this won’t form outside of us because those who are positive and love their country will quickly find a place with us. On the other hand, there is this other force, which has a lot of energy from external sources, trying to regain power and shape the country based on foreign interests. If these interests were followed, Georgia would cease to exist. Once this force is gone, many opponents of the Georgian Dream will emerge, and I look forward to that day - it will be the happiest day, because we should give people the chance to choose between good and better. What kind of elections are we having today, huh? We are always fighting to rid ourselves of this force and to prevent the country from being handed over to those who would turn it against itself. Isn’t this an election? The Georgian Dream, despite everything they say about our achievements, is indeed combating an evil force. This energy doesn’t dissipate because a huge force outside supports us, and we are always engaged in a tug-of-war.

Winning the election is not decisive. We need a constitutional majority to ban and remove them. Even if we stop all activity after this TV interview and Georgian Dream stops its movement entirely, we would still retain the number of deputies we have in parliament today, regardless of ratings. But we need that kind of legitimacy. We need to finally rid ourselves of this plague. Otherwise, I assure you that on the 27th, nothing will happen, but a month later, on the 27th, some misunderstanding, similar to the Khorava Street incident, may arise. The public will be upset, we will face trouble, and you [the opposition] will benefit. Don’t think there will be elections here then. Remember the Nazis [National Movement]? What happened back then? Square it or cube it, as it happened then and worse could happen in an instant, and we would face enormous trouble. This is the reality. That’s why this force must be removed. If you don’t cut out the tumor, it will spread, and eventually, the body will collapse.

The Georgian Dream has probably grown tiresome to the public, right? It is very difficult to elect the same government for 12 years in a democratic state. I myself am tired of hearing my last name too often. People are understandably weary of the same faces. A small spark from outside is enough to make the situation explode instantly. Remember Khorava Street - the prosecutor's office wasn’t involved, but they were manipulated. At that time, the opposition helped stir public anxiety to the point where if elections had been held then, Georgian Dream would have lost power. This is why it’s so dangerous to allow these forces to remain in politics. They are an evil force, enemies of the country. There are many precedents for banning political parties, and we have such a strong case - only fascist Germany during the Nuremberg trials had comparable documentation, and we have almost similar evidence today," Ivanishvili stated.

The leader of Georgian Dream also discussed the trial of Giorgi Gakharia, the former prime minister and founder of the Gakharia - For Georgia party. He called Gakharia a “scoundrel” and claimed that "all the documents against him have been prepared at the court level."

"They will definitely have to judge this scoundrel, while his supporters stand by him. We will prove, in black and white, everything he did, how he helped the National Movement, and how he continues to help them today. He was fully aware that he should involve Georgia in a war the very next day. All the court documents have been arranged. Surely, they will have to answer for this, and they will face severe consequences. I am particularly irritated with him and the members of his party. They were majority members of Georgian Dream, entered parliament with our mandate, and now they are mimicking and sometimes even worsening the narratives of the National Movement. Of course, they deserve strict punishment, and I assure you they will get it," Ivanishvili said.

As he emphasized, he is far from the idea that any party should declare the punishment of voters.