Ruling Party Founder Admits Mistakes, but Urges People not to Make a Mistake
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, November 6
Founder of the Georgian Dream ruling party, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili addressed public on Monday, ahead of the presidential runoff, after the ruling party supported candidate Salome Zourabichvili received 0.9 percent more votes than her opponent from the United National Movement opposition Grigol Vashadze.
In his address, Ivanishvili, who returned to politics as the chairman of the Georgian Dream party after a five-year break, admitted that the Georgian Dream ruling party has made mistakes and via the October 28 presidential elections people indicated about the drawbacks.
He said that the ruling party made the country stood on the right path, in terms of human rights, economy and media freedom, but failed to improve the economic conditions of many Georgian citizens.
“We need decisive changes to meet the challenge. I would say that the issue of pensions and allowances for the internally displaced population must be reviewed.
“Caring about the people is a matter of dignity for the government and we must do this. We must also change our staff policy. The policy must be based on professionalism and we must allow youth to get involved in the process of managing the country and the structure of its policies,” Ivanishvili said.
He stated that the Georgian Dream is opposed by a “revanchist force” in the elections, which aims to destruct all the achievements have made since 2012.
“We must not give a chance to a force which aims to destruct all the achievements and use the mistakes [made by the ruling team],” Ivanishvili said.
Ivanishvili also mentioned the “2012 army of the Georgian Dream” and appealed to those former members “who are now disappointed about the party” to re-join.
“All patriots will find their places in our big family,” Ivanishvili said.
Vashadze’s team has immediately responded to Ivanishvili.
"Now we have heard the address of the informal governor Bidzina Ivanishvili. I want to tell him that one million people expressed a full distrust to you. Now we have heard another lie that has no price for any citizen of Georgia, Vashadze from the unity of ten opposition parties supporting Grigol Vashadze said.
Former Minister for Euro Atlantic Integration Aleks Petriashvili, who was one of the members of the Georgian Dream coalition in 2012, said that he is ready to serve the country in the diplomatic field.
“Everyone knows my address in Tbilisi,” he stated.
