Georgian Dream

Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia is a political party in Georgia. The party was established on 19 April 2012 by the billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili. Georgian Dream and its partners in a coalition also named Georgian Dream won majorities in the 2012, 2016, and 2020 general elections. The party is currently led by Irakli Kobakhidze as Party Chairman and Irakli Garibashvili as Prime Minister. History The party evolved from the public movement Georgian Dream, launched by Ivanishvili as a platform for his political activities in December 2011. Since Ivanishvili was not a Georgian citizen at the moment of the party's inaugural session, the lawyer Manana Kobakhidze was elected as an interim, nominal chairman of the Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia. The party also includes several notable Georgians such as the former diplomat Tedo Japaridze, chess grandmaster Zurab Azmaiparashvili, security commentator Irakli Sesiashvili, writer Guram Odisharia and famed footballer Kakha Kaladze. United National Movement of Mikheil Saakashvili, which ruled Georgia for a decade before the creation of Georgia Dream, suffered several blows to its reputation. The UNM, known for its neoliberal economic policy, extremely punitive criminal justice system and confrontational approach to Russia, became increasingly unpopular prior to 2012 parliamentary elections. The regime was described as "an extremely punitive and abusive criminal justice, law-and-order system, which ended up with the highest per capita prison population in Europe – even higher than in Russia – in which torture became absolutely routine... Almost zero acquittal cases in criminal trials, mass surveillance, telephone tapping, and a lot of pressure put on businessmen, including intimidation, so they contribute to government projects." The events such as violent dispersal of 2007 and 2011 Georgian demonstrations, 2012 Gldani prison scandal involving revelations about systemic torture of inmates in Georgian prisons, 2006 Sandro Girgvliani murder case and loss of territories in 2008 Russo-Georgian War contributed to the party's increasing loss of support among general population. However, before Georgian Dream, no other party managed to unite opposition and mobilize popular support. In April 2012, Georgian Dream became a political party, and staged several mass demonstrations against the Saakashvili government.