Ivanishvili's Coalition Members Pass Join Declaration

• Wednesday, February 22, 03:38

Tbilisi. On Tuesday, February 21, the members of businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili's "Georgian Dream" political coalition have passed a joint declaration, which provides basic trends of the coalition's work. 

                As it is pointed out in the declaration, the coalition members intend "to put an end to the authoritarian ruling and political Messianism" in the country, as well as to inculcate the democratic principles, the tradition of change of power through elections and government's accountability to the society.

Georgian Dream will introduce a balanced and equal model of public agencies, real self-governance and multipartite political system and will implement consultative reform with active public involvement to achieve that," the declaration reads.

                The document also notes the importance of country's integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures.

"The coalition will ensure the reinforcement of regional positions and country's security and, with that aim, will strengthen country's integration into EU and NATO, as well as will participate in the economic and peaceful processes throughout the region," the declaration reads.

Besides, the coalition members are going to "begin and make irreversible the process of country's unification".

With that aim, the coalition "will find the ways for dialogue with Abkhazians and Ossetias with the international community's assistance and will achieve specific results in talks with Russia" - it is stated in the document.

                The coalition members also intend to ensure inviolability of citizens' constitutional rights, inevitability of punishment for crime and inadmissibility of persecution on political grounds.

As it is pointed out in the declaration "the coalition will prevent the merger political parties with public institutions."

                Georgian Dream members aim to overcome unemployment and poverty, to introduce affordable and high-quality education and healthcare system. The document also covers the protection of ethnic and religious minorities' rights and promotion of their integration into the civil society.

"The coalition will take care of the national and cultural heritage and will promote education and social- economic modernization, in order to overcome 'blind imitation', on one hand, and "party insularity", on the other hand.

                Along with Ivanishvili's party "Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia", the coalition also includes the Republican Party, the National Forum and Our Georgia-Free Democrats (led by Irakli Alasania, Georgia's ex-envoy to UN).The Conservative Party leader, Zviad Dzidziguri and the People's Party leader, Koba Davitashvili, also joined the coalition.

                In October 2011, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who, for a long time, had distanced himself from politics and who was engaged in charity and arts patronage, announced about his intention to set up a political party and run in 2012 parliamentary elections in Georgia.

                Ivanishvili presented his party's initiative group last week. Presentation of his party will be held either in March or early April 2012.