Ivanishvili’s second coming: Georgian Dream’s comments

The former Georgian prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili's return to the post of chairman of the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party will positively influence the national political life and give a new impetus to the ruling team, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said, commenting on the ex-prime minister’s decision to return to public politics.

«I am sure that this decision will positively influence the political life of our country. This will be an impetus for us, every member of the Georgian Dream Party, our team and personally me as prime minister. We are sure that both the political council and the delegates will unanimously elect Bidzina Ivanishvili as a new chairman and the party’s political council will be elected,» Giorgi Kvirikashvili said at a briefing at the office of the Georgian Dream.

According to the prime minister of the country, the society has a natural and legitimate interest in the processes taking place in the ruling party. The Georgian Dream, as he said, feels «responsibility to the country and the people» and against the backdrop of the country’s development considers it necessary to strengthen the party and give firmness to the team.

«Bidzina Ivanishvili returns to politics. After passing formal procedures, he will assume the post of the party chairman. We talked very often, including at party conferences, about the need to take appropriate measures to further strengthen our party. It is necessary that the Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia is finally formed as a political union of a European type. This requires special efforts and resources. This decision will not have an impact on other personnel issues and decisions. Everything will remain unchanged, the chairman of the parliament, the prime minister and so on,» Irakli Kobakhidze, the executive secretary of the Georgian Dream, chairman of the Georgian parliament said.

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze also welcomed Ivanishvili’s return to the post of chairman Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia party. «The return of Bidzina Ivanishvili was due to the fact that we want to further strengthen the role of the party in the development of the country with new ideas. We are ready to transfer party life to a new stage,» said Kakha Kaladze.

The new phase in the development of the ruling party was predicted also by Minister of Justice of Georgia Thea Tsulukiani. «I think that the «Georgian Dream» party is at the crucial stage of its development. Bidzina Ivanishvili is the most likely figure to strengthen the party and unite all around the values that have united us since 2011, and will head the party as its chairman. In the development of the Georgian Dream Party, a new phase is beginning, which I hope will strengthen not only the governing elements of the party, but also the most important thing — our party’s activists and voters, and instill a new spirit in those who on October 1, 2012 followed the choice in favor of this party «, — she noted.

Bidzina Ivanishvili appeared on the political arena in Georgia in 2011, having founded first the opposition coalition Georgian Dream, and after it — the Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia party. As a result of the parliamentary elections in 2012, the party in a coalition with other opposition forces came to power. Thus, the nine-year rule of the third president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement party has ended. In 2013, after Georgian Dream candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili won the presidential election, Ivanishvili, as he promised during the pre-election period, left politics, saying that his main task was done.