Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the Droa (“It’s Time”) party, has commented on the statement by Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, who described elections as “a stable and peaceful path for the country.” In a post published on her Facebook page, Khoshtaria wrote:
“No offense intended, but the ‘confrontation’ that has emerged within the opposition camp regarding participation in the elections is somewhat amusing. This is happening while ‘Dream’ [Georgian Dream] is essentially hand-picking its preferred opposition list, and we are no longer talking about banning parties, but about a ban on even standing on the sidewalk. It is unclear who is arguing with whom about the necessity of elections; I don’t understand who is even denying it.
Under these conditions, when human will is replaced by a manipulative unit, when violence and disorder become the only forms of interaction, when even arithmetic loses its meaning and no one in the world calls this an election—to call it an election and thereby justify our political existence, is that not an even greater lie than what ‘Dream’ is offering? How can you defeat anything with a lie—except yourselves?! We do not need fictitious events; we need real, fair elections.
Elections have been achieved under much harsher regimes, including in Georgia, and they are achieved through the path we are currently on: continued non-recognition, increased resistance, and international pressure. So far, it is these three factors that have prevented the regime from breaking us, driven it into isolation, triggered internal contradictions, limited its resources, and forced it to make numerous mistakes.
If someone lacks the endurance—I understand that on a human level, but I cannot accept it politically. The example of Hungary should strengthen our resolve to pressure ‘Dream,’ rather than leading to another ‘bloodshed’ within our own camp,” Khoshtaria wrote.
Salome Zourabichvili: I want the transition of power to occur through elections
