Georgia’s third president, Mikheil Saakashvili, has criticized a section of the opposition over its attitude toward Viktor Kipiani, the founder of the “Georgia First” (Snachala Gruziya) party. According to Saakashvili, some opposition politicians are attempting to align themselves with Kipiani’s “project” in the same way they previously backed other political figures, relying on financial resources linked to Bidzina Ivanishvili.
“It is astonishing that those opposition representatives who used to side with Gilauri are now trying to jump on the train of Ivanishvili’s completely contentless lawyer, a certain Kipiani, simply because they believe there is money here as well.
These people have learned nothing and, apparently, never will. Through one entity, then another, they are trying to attach themselves to Ivanishvili’s money,” Saakashvili wrote on social media.
As a reminder, Viktor Kipiani, a member of the “Georgia First” party, previously stated that to achieve political change, the opposition needs to overcome polarization and engage in dialogue with the ruling party regarding the rules for conducting fair elections.
According to him, the key issue is not whether to participate in elections, but in what kind of elections to participate. Meanwhile, Saakashvili stated during a court hearing that “elections are not held” in Georgia, dismissing talk of participating in them as “nonsense” and a “cheap intrigue.”
