Opposition MP Dekanoidze accuses Ivanishvili of using parliamentary bid for “security guarantees”

Khatia Dekanoidze, a member of the Unity – National Movement opposition alliance, on Thursday criticized Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Honorary Chair and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, accusing him of seeking a place on the parliamentary list to “secure personal protection” while “isolating Georgia from the international community”.

In her press comments, the lawmaker claimed “Ivanishvili is only on the parliamentary list [as the number one] because he believes he needs security guarantees. He appears to be using every last resource to deceive the citizens of Georgia once again and leave the country in isolation”.

She also described the ruling Georgian Dream party as a “party of the past” that should be “decisively defeated” in the upcoming October 26 elections. She argued that Ivanishvili’s political tactics aimed to “keep Georgia vulnerable on the global stage”.

“For me and the people of Georgia, it doesn’t matter who is on Georgian Dream’s list,” she said. “This is a party stuck in the past, held there by Ivanishvili. If he thinks security guarantees will save him, he is mistaken. The focus must be on defeating Georgian Dream, a party that seeks to leave Georgia isolated and exposed”, Dekanoidze said.
The GD this week presented its top 20 candidates on the election list, with Ivanishvili leading it.