Ivanishvili: ‘impressive victory - Georgian society has finally straightened its back’

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday hailed the outcome of local elections as a “truly impressive victory,” praising the Georgian people for their unity and resilience.

“This is indeed an impressive victory. Georgian society has managed to finally straighten its back. This is what our history and our genetics deserve. We are a very talented nation. At some point, in some circumstances, we lost our way, but we are regaining our strength and will hold a dignified place in the world,” Ivanishvili said.

He also thanked voters for the trust shown in the ruling team, while stressing the importance of unity in safeguarding Georgia’s sovereignty.

“One thing I want to emphasise is that the modern method of conquest is through agents. Even larger, more developed countries have lost their sovereignty this way. Many nations are being driven toward catastrophe by their own people. We are a uniquely talented nation, the only country that, despite being occupied and controlled by external forces, has managed through unity to gradually restore its sovereignty,” he noted.

His remarks came after domestic TV channel Imedi released exit poll results conducted by Gorbi, showing Georgian Dream’s mayoral candidate, incumbent Kakha Kaladze, leading in Tbilisi with 77.4 percent of the vote.