Politicians React to Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Interview

Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili gave on October 23 his second televised interview since his return as the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG).

In his 140-minute interview with journalists of three broadcasters, opposition-leaning Rustavi 2, pro-governmental Imedi TV and newly-established TV Pirveli, Ivanishvili outlined plans for strengthening the party cohesion and clarified his stance on several ongoing issues.

Georgian politicians have reacted today. Here are some of the excerpts:

Ruling party

Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze: Ivanishvili spoke on those issues that are covered in one form and the reality is quite different. It was very important to provide the public with accurate information about these issues, and I think the society saw exactly where the lies are and where the truth is. Regretfully, the future plans were not discussed yesterday, but I am sure the party chairman will have an opportunity in the future to speak with the public about his vision, how we see the country developing further. It is very regretful the discussion was held in this manner, and you saw who was the initiator of all these and how the standards of journalistic ethics were violated in the course of discussion.

Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani: Mr. Ivanishvili’s interview was interesting. We witnessed how a person, who is simultaneously a respondent and a moderator, can address all types of questions and give detailed answers to them even when he is treated disrespectfully [by journalists].

Deputy Parliament Speaker Tamar Chugoshvili: Instead of journalists asking what he meant by his one-year [reform] plan, all we regretfully saw was the flaunting of partisan agendas. The discussion could have been a lot more interesting. I think that the voters and the population failed to receive enough information on the issue. I do not think the interview was aimed at blaming Rustavi 2 TV for certain issues.

MP Sopio Kiladze: It was an interview of an honest man, a patriot, who spoke very frankly about existing problems. I think, when media outlets propagate fake news, it harms the interests of the country and its democracy. This is exactly what Bidzina Ivanishvili focused on.

Opposition

Davit Bakradze, Presidential Candidate, European Georgia: Yesterday, we heard that the country is experiencing development, that everything is well, and that it is the people who cannot understand it, because the journalists are telling them that everything is going wrong. It appears that if we turn off our TV sets and look outside, the USD rate will fall below that of the Georgian Lari, we will hear the rumbling of the factories opened by the Georgian Dream, we will see our refrigerators fill with products and feel that we live in a developed country. Six years after they came to power, we received a government that cannot see the problems and the hardship facing our population. It would be funny, if it were not so tragic.

Grigol Vashadze, Presidential Candidate, UNM-led coalition: Yesterday, we watched an inept show staged by an inept stage director, where the head of the “thievish dream” (Editor’s note: play of words, implies Georgian Dream) tried to justify himself against the complaints and the problems persisting in the country. It would have been better if he had not held this press conference at all, because the Georgian society learnt the following from his interview: Mr. Ivanishvili fully supports the remarks made by his presidential candidate that the 2008 war with Russia was launched by Georgia and that Georgia bombed its own population … Ivanishvili is mocking and insulting the Georgian citizens and the society.

Davit Usupashvili, Presidential Candidate, Development Movement: Ivanishvili tries to address the problems through hushing them up, because he sees no other solution. Yesterday, we saw a lawyer of Otar Partskhaladze, a prosecutor to Rustavi 2 TV, a tutor to journalists, a master of neglecting questions, but we failed to see a leader of a democratic country, who would inspire the society with positive energy. We also heard him promise that he would do within a year what he failed to do within seven years. We also saw that from pragmatic and political points of view, the United National Movement and Rustavi 2 are more valuable for Ivanishvili than his own ruling team and his television stations … We, others, should find a solution and convince the government to hold proportional parliamentary elections in October 2019. For this to happen, it will be extremely important to break the vicious circle of the GD-UNM [confrontation] in the October 28 presidential elections.

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