Former Georgian President Returns to Active Politics

Former Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili has decided to return to active politics.

"By choosing authoritarianism, Georgian Dream crossed red lines. No democracy, no national unity, no western path,” he wrote on Twitter, adding that he “will serve the mission of Georgia’s western choice with his friends and the Georgian people.”

As he has claimed recently, he "had no moral right to watch the recent developments remotely anymore, as his former team members, the ruling party Georgian Dream representatives, created an unprecedented danger for the country."

The former president explained that "Georgia is currently under threat of losing the support of Western partners and being governed by Russian authorities."

Margvelashvili, who became President of Georgia with the support of GD, also added that he is not interested in the reactions of his former team members regarding his return to active politics, as "it does not matter what moves they make, they can't stop me."

Georgian academic and politician Giorgi Margvelashvili was the fourth President of Georgia, in office from 17 November 2013 to 16 December 2018.

In October 2012, he became a member of the newly formed cabinet of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the Georgian Dream party. Margvelashvili was named by the GD coalition as its presidential candidate in May 2013 and he won the October 2013 presidential election with 62% of votes.

With Margvelashvili's election, a new constitution came into effect, significantly curtailing the president's powers in favor of the Prime Minister and the Parliament. Shortly thereafter, Margvelashvili's relations with Ivanishvili and the ruling Georgian Dream party leadership significantly spoiled.

During his tenure, Margvelashvili was critical of the Georgian Dream's consolidation of power. He was the first president in Georgia's history not to seek reelection for a second term.

As Bidzina Ivanishvili claimed, the former president "showed different characteristics and attitudes," which allegedly laid the foundation for the confrontation and disagreement between them. 

By Ana Dumbadze