Former Minister of Defense: I Financed the Rose Revolution

“The 2003 Rose Revolution and the entire surrounding campaign was financed by me,” stated Irakli Okruashvili, the former Defence Minister of Georgia under the United National Movement leadership and current leader of the Victorious Georgia party.

“I had certain contacts and connections before and after the developments of the 2003 Rose Revolution. When you were saying that the 2003 Rose Revolution was financed by George Soros, or Bidzina Ivanishvili, actually, the entire campaign was financed by me. I had the relevant leverage for that, I have now and, very likely, I will have it in the future as well”, Okruashvili told journalists.

The Revolution of Roses, often translated into English as the Rose Revolution, was a pro-Western peaceful change of power in Georgia in November 2003. The revolution was brought about by widespread protests over the disputed parliamentary elections and culminated in the ousting of President Eduard Shevardnadze, which marked the end of the Soviet era of leadership in the country. The event derives its name from the climactic moment when demonstrators, led by Mikheil Saakashvili, stormed the Parliament session with red roses in hand.

Consisting of twenty days of protests from 3 to 23 November 2003, the Revolution triggered new presidential and parliamentary elections in Georgia, which established the United National Movement as the dominant ruling party.

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By Ana Dumbadze