Saakashvili’s Remarks at Meeting with Newly Elected Ruling Party MPs

Tbilisi, May 30

I want to congratulate you on this important victory. Our common victory is the victory of our country. I want to say that the people expressed a huge support to us and gave us a mandate of trust, which we should justify. Our final victory will come after we keep all the promises given to the people. I want to thank you for the participation in the election campaign.

I want to say that very important time is coming for us in Georgia. At the same time, I want to call on all political forces for a dialogue. I understand very well the discontent of even the most radical part of the opposition, I understand their disappointment with the results of the elections, but we all should remember that this country, Georgia belongs to everybody – to the ruling party, to the opposition – its moderate and radical parts, to those, who are aggressive and less aggressive.

Therefore, I want to reiterate that I will keep my promise and I have promised that – although the constitution does not bind me to submit the cabinet for confidence vote to the newly elected parliament – we will keep this promise in the nearest days.

We have promised to give serious levers to the opposition in the parliament and we will keep this promise. We are ready to give them a number of positions, including that of vice-speaker, as well as in the [parliamentary] committees and even more. I want to reaffirm my proposal – although we have gained the majority and usually, in other countries, the governments would not have done it – but we are ready to offer them various positions in the government, if they accept it.

I am doing it because Georgia, our country needs to be united, need to be recovered from injuries.

I think nobody should have an illusion that one can create problems to the government. The government is very strong, but we should not cross the line, over which the problems will be created to our country, as a whole.

None of us should do something that will undermine the strength of our country, the reputation of our country, the position of our country in such difficult foreign relations.

Everybody should be given an opportunity to participate in ruling our country in order to make Georgia much stronger in a long-term perspective.

The government is already strong as never. But Georgia should be stronger. Therefore, we offer a hand of cooperation, friendship, mutual dialogue, unification around Georgia to everybody. And we will keep all these proposals in force.
 
The National Movement represents entire Georgia, as well as those people, who supported other parties and we should all work together for the interests of Georgia.