Tsqitishvili: Ivanishvili's Support for Kobakhidze Was Needed Due to Problems Within the Team

Opposition politician Dimitri Tsqitishvili says that Irakli Kobakhidze looks rather weak within his own team, and that Bidzina Ivanishvili's support was needed to preserve his influence and resources in Georgian Dream. In his assessment, the inclusion of Zurab Patarkatsishvili in the Political Council is a signal that he may indeed be considered a candidate for prime minister. Tsqitishvili made this statement on the "Dghis Newsroom" program on Palitranius and responded to the session of the Georgian Dream Political Council and parliamentary majority.

According to Tsqitishvili, if there were no problems in Georgian Dream, Ivanishvili, the founder of the party, would not have appeared on the political stage. In his statement, it is a fact that the system established by Kobakhidze does not work, and Ivanishvili had to tell team members that Kobakhidze is a good prime minister. Tsqitishvili also referred to the statement of parliamentary majority leader Irakli Kirtskhalia and said that this points to problems. In his view, Kobakhidze has no control over the majority and cannot control processes, for example after Mamuka Mdinaradze is no longer by his side.

Regarding Patarkatsishvili, Tsqitishvili said that the circulated information about his possible premiership has not been confirmed, but has remained valid. "It did not confirm the rumor, but left it valid," he said, adding that bringing Patarkatsishvili into the Political Council points to the preparation of a precondition in this direction.

Regarding the constitutional lawsuit on banning the opposition, Tsqitishvili says that there is dissatisfaction and a certain discomfort in Georgian Dream. In his words, this process is also painful for some party representatives, and Ivanishvili should force them to make a decision. According to Tsqitishvili's assessment, the lawsuit does not only concern banning parties but contains a more fundamental problem: blaming Georgia for starting the war. In his own words, the lawsuit means that Russia did not occupy Georgian territories, but the Georgian government forced Russia to enter.

According to Tsqitishvili, banning parties and moving to one-party dictatorship is correctable together with a change of regime, but if the state confirms that Georgia itself gave Russia the motive and basis for intervention, this will be a historically damaging issue that cannot be corrected so easily. In his words, this is a morally difficult dilemma for "Dream" members: they will either sign a historic betrayal or refuse.

According to Tsqitishvili, Ivanishvili will not personally take responsibility for banning parties, and this responsibility will be assigned to Kobakhidze. In his view, one of Kobakhidze's main missions now is to bring the lawsuit to its end, because he believes the author of the lawsuit is precisely him. Tsqitishvili expects that certain individuals, including Mdinaradze's friends and members of his inner circle, will be moved to various positions where they will end up in the shadows and gradually disappear from the political arena.

In his assessment, all this does not mean that issues in the party have been resolved. Tsqitishvili said he does not know why an expectation arose that Kobakhidze would be removed this week, and added that he does not expect personnel changes before the parties are banned.