An Ex-President, Ex-PM & the Former Parliament Speaker All in One Party?
Op-ed
The former stars of the Georgian Dream are making a comeback to show business and are planning to cooperate with the political movement Lelo. Yet another ex-GD megastar is forecasted to return to the big scene, Irakli Alasania, but he has his own party so it is quite unlikely he’ll also be joining Lelo. In any case, the transfer window to Lelo will open this spring for everyone, even Alasania.
The ex-Speaker of Parliament, Davit Usupashvili, was the first to sign a contract with Lelo, joining the new political movement after the infamous election “trick” played by the Dream at the end of last year. Next in line are ex-President Margvelashvili and ex-PM Kvirikashvili, whose contract terms have yet to be revealed, but who, according to ongoing developments, seem very likely to end up in Lelo. What matters most is that with Lelo we are getting a power in the election “market” whcapable of boldly joining the “Battle of the Titans.”
The main messenger informing us of the new political reality came from Giorgi Margvelashvili a few days ago, finally proving himself not to be made of “plasticine,” as he described himself earlier in his political career. “It is time to leave our comfort zones and ove our country away from this provincial dictatorship. I urge everyone, be they Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Irakli Alasania or others, everyone who stood before 2012 and created the 1st of October: we are all obliged to our country, so that Georgia is formed as a pro-Western democracy,” Margvelashvili told Palitra News.
The rumors about Margvelashvili’s return to big politics first spread when he was still the President and could have run for his second term. The political establishment envisioned the creation of a new political center precisely around him, but the 4th president resigned as quietly as he had come, disappointing everyone. Despite this, the idea of the formation of the that political center around him remained, not only within the opposition but also within the government. Margvelashvili’s chief asset is his neutrality, which he has been able to maintain successfully for years. The Tbilisi elite looks at this important asset with merciful eyes. Nevertheless, an advantage even more significant is the Patriarchal locum tenens, Shio, who has been Margvelashvili’s friend since childhood. Based on these electoral treasures, it is easy to guess what sort of acquisition the fourth president embodies for Lelo.
Former PM Kvirikashvili will also bring quite an important benefit for Lelo. Two years ago, when he resigned, everyone wanted to know where he would go, and there were four possible answers: a) politics b) prison c) home d) abroad. The first two answers were most popular, however, the correct one is still unknown. Although the ex-PM is already considered as a supporter of Lelo if not a member, we shouldn’t forget that resigning officials in this country tend to have only two choices: prison or politics. Imprisonment of the former mayor Gigi Ugulava for the second time once again proved this. Hence, it can’t be ruled out that the ex-PM’s road could lead to the Matrosov Prison instead of Lelo’s headquarters. Ivanishvili’s scandalous interview supports this opinion, seeing him accuse the PM of making 700 million disappear. Despite these accusations, after his resignation, the bankers, his native New Rights Party and most importantly a group of MPs, announced their support, the latter still in parliament and waiting for his signal. Therefore, the ex-PM is as strong an asset for Lelo as the ex-President.
Today, Lelo is mainly comprised of Margvelashvili’s personnel, people who are disappointed by Ivanishvili’s government. So it can be asserted that today Lelo is the bigger competitor of the Dream, rather than the United National Movement or European Georgia, who have their own electorate and aren’t planning to leave the arena anytime soon.
By Zaza Jgarkava