Gvaramia at Constitutional Court: We Are Going Back to Where Gamsakhurdia Pulled Us Out Of

Nika Gvaramia, leader of the "Akhali" coalition, said at the Constitutional Court during the process of banning parties that he never expected to be discussing the abolition of multiparty politics on the 36th anniversary of multiparty elections. In his words: "I never thought that on the 36th anniversary of multiparty elections we would be considering, with full seriousness and at high risk, the abolition of multiparty politics in Georgia".

On October 28, 1990, Georgia held its first democratic, multiparty elections. Fourteen political parties took part, and the opposition bloc "Round Table — Free Georgia" won.

Gvaramia said that this day is very memorable for him. According to him, he was born in the family of a dissident in Sukhumi and remembers the anticipation of this day particularly well. In Gvaramia's assessment, one of the main milestones in the collapse of the Soviet Union was Georgia's multiparty elections, while independence was the result of this and of the April 9 tragedy.

He recalled Zviad Gamsakhurdia's speech on October 28, 1990: "Georgian people, much-suffering and heroic! I congratulate you on this greatest victory! Today, on this historic day, the foundation was laid for a free, independent Georgia. Today the Georgian people said no to slavery, no to the regime that for 70 years was suffocating it!"

Gvaramia noted that after 36 years the process is "developing inversely, completely reversed, and we are going to where Zviad Gamsakhurdia pulled us out from, but now without Zviad Gamsakhurdia, and unfortunately, which increases the chances that we again end up where we were pulled out from through Zviad".

According to him, he is not pessimistic and believes in the country's victory and European integration. At the same time, he stressed the catastrophe that Georgia faces, which, in his words, was brought about by several people, including those present in this hall. Gvaramia stated that, under the decision demanded by "Georgian Dream", Badri Japaridze, who signed the Declaration of Independence, will be stripped of his status as a politician. According to him, the lawsuit is signed by those who threw the legitimate government away with weapons.

Gvaramia added that under this lawsuit the politicians who signed the Act of Independence and are still alive will be stripped of their status: Roman Gotsiridze, Gubaz Sanikidze, Davit Berdzenishvili, Akaki Bobokhidze and Zviad Dzidziguri. According to his statement, if the lawsuit is upheld, Soviet legacy will defeat the national movement and in 36 years a "communist revanche" will take place in the country. Gvaramia said he hopes the court will not allow this.