Tsotne Ivanishvili, the son of the founder of Georgia’s ruling party, addressed a conference of the youth wing of Georgian Dream (Kartuli Otsneba). He opened his speech by addressing the issue of violence, having been asked for his thoughts on the excessive force used against protesters his own age during a rally.
“In my view, this is painful for everyone; personally, I am deeply troubled by these events. Naturally, I condemn violence and believe that things should not have unfolded in this manner.
I believe that the best and only viable way out of polarization is through discussion, debate, and the ability to listen to opposing viewpoints. However, it is crucial that we and those we are in dialogue with—the other side—are united by a single common premise, a shared value that I call a genuine love for the Motherland.
If two people sincerely care about their country, then regardless of their differences in opinion, conversation, discussion, and debate can, in my view, already yield significant positive results.”