The third President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, addressed the protesters gathered at Freedom Square, via a letter he wrote from prison. He highlighted that the country needs great reconciliation.
“My first wish and main will are for Georgians to have a state distinguished by freedom and prosperity, justice and security. The ancient Europeans should have a European country [to welcome]; we should go to other European countries as tourists, to study, to do business, but we should always return home as I returned home. We should all return to our homeland, of which we will be proud and life will be wonderful,” the letter reads.
In the letter, Saakashvili states he cannot watch without emotion how people are leaving the country en masse and how Georgia becomes empty from the most talented, hardworking, and decent people. He added that “now is not the time to divide by any sign, neither by party nor by any other sign, and unity is needed.” He urges people to forgive one another.
“A civilized country cannot be based on strife, and if we want a civilized country, then we definitely need a great deal of reconciliation and rejection of revenge. We had enough failure and nihilism,” reads the letter.
Saakashvili urges citizens to go to the elections on 30 October and protect every vote.
He notes that the last step is to end Ivanishvili’s regime.
By Ketevan Skhirtladze
