Georgian Dream Aims for Constitutional Majority with New Electoral List Headed by Ivanishvili

By Malkhaz Matsaberidze

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Georgian Dream was the first among participants in the upcoming elections to present the top twenty members of its electoral list. The leaders of Dream claim that this list, headed by Bidzina Ivanishvili, will not just bring them a simple victory, but a constitutional majority. However, according to the opposition, the electoral list clearly shows the inevitable defeat of Dream in the upcoming elections.

On September 10, Georgian Dream introduced the first twenty members of its electoral list for the parliamentary elections on October 26. At the top of the list is Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream. Until now, Dream has participated in three parliamentary elections, but Ivanishvili has never been part of the parliamentary list.

Bidzina Ivanishvili founded Georgian Dream in 2011 and has since left politics twice. He first announced his departure from politics in 2013 after stepping down as Prime Minister, but he returned as party chairman in 2018. In 2021, he again announced his exit from politics, but by the end of 2023, he had returned once more, becoming the honorary chairman of Dream.

Ivanishvili's appearance at the top of the electoral list sparked many comments. According to Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of Georgian Dream, the sole reason for naming Ivanishvili as the first on the electoral list is to secure a constitutional majority in the 2024 elections.

Some experts suggest other reasons, notably that Ivanishvili seeks parliamentary immunity, although it's hard to imagine him regularly attending parliamentary sessions. Others speculate that Ivanishvili may be a candidate for president, a position elected by an electoral college a month after the parliamentary elections. The electors include 150 members of parliament and 150 regional representatives, who are mostly from Dream. However, Mdinaradze insists it is "absolutely impossible" for Ivanishvili to take up the presidency or any other position, as he "is not interested in office," which he "proved by leaving politics."

Ivanishvili's frequent comings and goings from politics suggest he often changes his mind, and his potential candidacy for the presidency should not be ruled out. Ivanishvili has had poor luck in selecting presidential candidates, as he previously clashed with both of his chosen candidates, Margvelashvili and Zurabishvili, especially with Salome Zurabishvili, who now openly calls Ivanishvili an "oligarch" with "suspicious ties to Russia."

While Dream has yet to name a presidential candidate, current President Salome Zurabishvili has announced her intention to run for a second term, with hopes of receiving opposition support. The opposition may struggle to find another candidate who is equally acceptable to all factions, but Zurabishvili's second term would only be possible if the opposition wins decisively in the elections.

Only seven candidates from the top twenty in Georgian Dream's 2020 list made it into the new list. Missing from the current list are Archil Talakvadze, who was second on the 2020 list, and others including Mariam Lashkhi, Victor Sanikidze, David Kacharava, Beka Davituliani, Giorgi Kakhaiani, Mikheil Sarjveladze, Maia Bitadze, and Giorgi Amilakhvari.

The second spot on the list is held by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, followed by Georgian Dream chairman Irakli Garibashvili, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, and Majority Leader Mamuka Mdinaradze. The top twenty also includes two members from People's Power and only five female candidates, as in the previous list, with a few new faces from the business and arts sectors.

Particularly notable criticism from the opposition came over the inclusion of two Olympic champions in the ruling party's list. Georgian weightlifter and three-time Olympic champion Lasha Talakhadze is seventh on the list, while wrestler Geno Petriashvili is tenth. Their appearance on the list is clearly linked to their recent victories at the Paris Olympics. According to opposition members, Dream is using athletes to cover up its negatives.

Athletes, who were widely loved following their Olympic victories, will now inevitably face criticism due to their inclusion in the Dream list. "People who are successful in other fields are doomed to be discredited by entering politics, as the negatives associated with Georgian Dream will overshadow any positives," said Gedevan Popkhadze.

The athletes themselves remain optimistic. Lasha Talakhadze has already supported the controversial "Russian Law", while Geno Petriashvili stated that he joined a "great team" and plans to do many good things in parliament alongside Dream. It's also noteworthy that Tea Tsulukiani, ending her long tenure as a minister, is included in the top twenty. Mdinaradze stated that Tsulukiani would be a "strong opponent" for the National Movement.

The opposition has harshly criticized Dream's top twenty, asserting that the list confirms Dream will lose the election. Naming Ivanishvili as the top candidate, they claim, is proof of the ruling party's serious legitimacy and support crisis. "If anyone doubted that the ruling party is completely bankrupt, they should go down this list and see that this is a political force with no political resources left, neither for novelty nor renewal, nor anything to offer society," said Salome Samadashvili, one of the leaders of the Strong Georgia coalition.

Now, the opposition faces the task of presenting its electoral lists, which won't be easy and will surely become a target for criticism from the ruling party.