What Are Three Opposition Parties Planning? Briefing

On October 31, three opposition coalitions out of four subjects that won parliamentary mandates on the October 26 parliamentary elections (and subsequently refused parliamentary mandates and associated funding) held a briefing regarding future plans.

At the briefing, Ana Dolidze represented the “Strong Georgia” coalition. She discussed the process of collecting “serious, systemic, well-researched evidence,” during which, according to her, “thousands of video files” were gathered documenting persecution, expulsion, threats, blackmail, bullying, falsification – criminal offenses.

Elene Khoshtaria represented the “Coalition for Change” and also discussed plans: “Protest is not for releasing anger, not chaos, but rather a well-thought-out, well-planned, results-oriented process,” and announced that “a protest group has been created” that will accept all active citizens, “they will have complete space and respect in this space, and hand in hand like this, we will expel the Russians {referring to the ruling party} from this country.”

The briefing concluded with Tina Bokuchava’s speech. She represented the “United National Movement” and stated that “only 9 states recognize the results of these illegitimate elections, three of which – which do not recognize Georgia’s territorial integrity and recognize the independence of occupied Abkhazia and occupied Tskhinvali – these are Russia, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. And this alone clearly shows what path Ivanishvili has taken,” “This is a path only to international isolation, which we will not allow Ivanishvili to take.”

The parties call on citizens to come out on Monday at 19:00 on Rustaveli for a peaceful protest rally and presented the joint plan, which includes the following points:

• We will not enter the parliament and will leave this Russian regime in isolation.
• We will create interparty coalition, which works together with the President.
• Tomorrow, we will present proof of systemic fraud, to our Western partners.
• On Monday, together with Georgian people at the rally, we will request international investigation.
• We start joint protest movement, requesting new elections.

Complete transcript of the briefing:

Ana Dolidze (9 – “Strong Georgia – Lelo, For the People, For Freedom,” which includes “Lelo for Georgia” led by Mamuka Khazaradze, “For the People” led by Ana Dolidze, and “Citizens” led by Aleko Elisashvili):

1. Thanks to friends abroad, as well as Georgian citizens abroad. Before you today is the unity of three opposition coalitions that received the people’s trust and mandate in the October 26 elections to govern this country and lead it into the European Union.
2. We are representatives of the victorious people, and we are precisely those individuals, those unions, behind us are precisely those fighters who received your trust to lead this country on the path of development. During those few days after the falsified elections stolen through a Russian special operation, we have been actively working here and in our unions, in our regional branches, together with our people, our fighters, to collect serious, systemic, well-researched evidence necessary for the international investigation of that falsification, the October 26 special operation.
3. We well understand that every Georgian citizen who went to vote, who made the European choice, they exactly understand, they exactly know that this choice was stolen, but our friends abroad, our partners needed and still need serious, {proof of} well-researched schemes and electoral mechanisms by which these elections were stolen.
4. I declare here, if earlier we were only talking about mechanisms and instruments, now we are talking about a systemic, wide-scale special operation of election theft. During this time, we have created several working directions, and all this will be implemented here, in the headquarters whose task will be to resist the fact of election falsification and Georgia’s remaining under Russian influence and remaining as one of Russia’s federal units.
5. For this purpose, we will conduct communication with you, with Georgia’s population, with our voters, because we know very well that we are angry, but more than us, and most of all, it is you who are angry about what happened, and we know very well that none of you intends to let {a select few} take away that choice which is our collective historical choice and on which our children’s future depends.
6. I will necessarily say here that every person who continues to participate in this criminal scheme by which the elections were stolen will necessarily, in due time, be exposed and punished by the independent prosecutor’s office and court that we will build. What happened on October 26, the persecution of our people, our expulsion, threats to our people, blackmail of our people, removal from polling stations and bullying – all of this – criminal offense, all these recordings exist.
7. We have uncovered schemes that are proven by thousands, thousands of video files. Each of these people – these crimes have many years of statute of limitations. They will be exposed and punished. You have a very small window to break away from that criminal, and criminal syndicate that rules this country. We will continue – our main task is to fight for the recognition of these elections as illegitimate. We will continue working with our partners, as we have been doing for several days and which has produced the result of non-recognition.
8. And most importantly, and I pass the word to my partners – most importantly, we will gather on Monday at 7 PM on Rustaveli, and there we will present to you the detailed action plan of how – inside or outside, according to law, legally peacefully, but in an organized and effective manner our protest will continue.

Elene Khoshtaria (4 – “Coalition for Change Gvaramia Melia Girchi Droa,” which includes “New” led by Nika Gvaramia and Nika Melia, “Girchi – More Freedom” led by Zurab Japaridze, and “Droa” led by Elene Khoshtaria):

1. Greetings, power belongs to the people, the state, our country belongs to the people and no one else, accordingly when a group appears and moreover an enemy – Russia, which decides to take this power away from the people, it is our duty to fight to the end and take this back. When a constitutional coup occurs by this group, it is our duty to take to the streets and through protest return control to the people over their own country and their own future.
2. Accordingly, at this decisive moment, we must come out and the street will be one of the fundamental central directions of our plan, where we will fight for our country and European future. We pro-Western European coalition has formed – we are the winners because we have your trust and mandate. And this victory imposes responsibility on us – to lead this fight, and we promise that yes, be it outside the country or inside – in street, in firm protest, we take this responsibility and this will be so.
3. Furthermore, we understand very well that protest is not releasing anger, not chaos, but rather a well-thought-out, well-planned, results-oriented process. Accordingly, at each stage of protest, we will report to society and explain what each specific action, specific form of action serves, and so on.
4. On Monday at 7 on Rustaveli, we want to show the whole world once again that no, we simply don’t recognize the elections, but here are these people, Georgian society which gathered on Rustaveli a short while ago under the President’s great leadership, proud leadership – let’s gather again and say not only do we not recognize – we know what you did, we know the crime you committed, and we won’t forgive you this crime.
5. There we will present to you the specific mechanisms by which we plan to confront this. Also, I want to say that in our headquarters a protest group, direction has been created, which tomorrow will invite representatives of society – all active social groups – youth, non-youth – everyone who wants to contribute to planning, including of this process. They will have complete space and respect in this space, and hand in hand like this, we will expel the Russians {referring to the ruling party} from this country.

Tina Bokuchava (“United National Movement,” whose coalition also includes “Strategy Aghmashenebeli”):

1. Greetings, thank you Elene. You know that we are also working very actively with the international community, Georgia’s international partners. It is known to society that at this stage the October 26 elections, in which Ivanishvili actually stole victory and European future from the Georgian people using a Russian special operation – the results of these illegitimate elections are recognized by only 9 states, three of which – which do not recognize Georgia’s territorial integrity and recognize the independence of occupied Abkhazia and occupied Tskhinvali – these are Russia, Venezuela and Nicaragua. And this alone clearly shows what path Ivanishvili has taken.
2. This is a path only to international isolation, which we will not allow Ivanishvili to take. The world meanwhile declares, including we heard the US President’s statement, which is unprecedented in itself. As you know, in just a few days presidential elections are also being held in America, but despite this, the American President took time for a special statement to respond to the October 26 historic elections in Georgia, which states – based on international and local observer organizations, that these elections were neither free nor fair.
3. Yes, this is really the reality we have when the international community is on the side of truth, is on the side of the Georgian people, and is on the side of victory, which the Georgian people achieved and which Bidzina Ivanishvili is trying to steal.
4. Elene mentioned protest, which is the most important form of democracy and this form which we must necessarily use effectively to return our victory, this will be results-oriented, well-thought-out actions to return victory and I am convinced that at these actions we will be just as consolidated, just as united, just as numerous, just as passion-filled to return victory, as we were at that action which President Zurabishvili announced last Monday. Most important indeed in this fight is consolidation and unity.
5. Standing beside the Georgian people and guarding our European future is the President of Georgia, which is very important and once again confirms that Georgian society is fully consolidated and opposing the Georgian people’s European future remains only Ivanishvili’s government conducting the Russian special operation.
6. We are working very intensively, in daily regime with Georgia’s President, to whom we will also present that report which we worked on inter-party, which describes numerous violations, including complete disregard of great illegality, constitutional principle – secrecy, principle of secrecy, total, massive systemic violation, which in itself, if not for the numerous violations that also took place, in itself secrecy – violation of this constitutional principle is already sufficient to annul the election results.
7. And this basis is provided by Georgia’s constitution and legislation. We will be in maximally open coordination also with our voters, society, Georgian citizens, who gave precisely us, that opposition unity which you see today – precisely us the mandate to govern the country, precisely us granted trust with that choice, that European choice, which the Georgian people made in the October 26 elections.
8. We feel accountable precisely to you, Georgian citizens, our voters, the absolute majority of Georgian citizens, who chose Europe, who chose a free future for our country, which Bidzina Ivanishvili is trying to enslave through a Russian special operation. We should also understand that this is a continuing fight, this is a continuing fight, though a fight for inevitable victory.
9. Victory, which we achieved, which we must return and which will end not only with new elections, which is our legitimate, constitutional demand, but will necessarily end with Georgia’s membership in the European Union. So we will meet each other on Rustaveli on Monday.