April 9th and pandemic - Salome Zurabishvili to deliver her annual report

Salome Zurabishvili addressed the one-party parliament with her annual report and explained why she chose today, April 9, for the report:

“Today we are meeting in the Parliament of Georgia, where the Act of Georgia's Independence was signed 30 years ago. I have chosen this day for presenting  the annual report, because this date is related to the most important events in the recent history of our country. 

April 9 is more often associated with the 1989 tragedy and mourning. However, April 9, 1991 overcame this tragedy and turned it into a symbol of victory. 

This day is a day of triple victory for the county! 
The first is because the civilians of April 9, who were not intimidated by Russian tanks and did not let the tricolor flag go, are the forerunners of victory. Therefore, we should respect them not as victims but as winners. Their victory is that after 30 years, Georgia is an independent country!

The second is because April 9 is followed by March 31, the biggest victory in the referendum, in which Georgia expressed its unanimous will. Then we needed neither observers nor recounts, and no one could question our joint decision - to declare the country an independent state.

It was a victory  over the 70-year-old Soviet ideology and totalitarian system. It was a victory over 70 years of Soviet ideology and a totalitarian system. A system that tried by all means (we still reap some of the results of this today) to disintegrate and confront the citizens of Georgia with each other. 

Third, because the Act of Independence on April 9 means that everyone has won together – cadets of 1921, officers shot in 1923 and Georgian Patriarch Ambrosi, the insurgents of 1922, 1923, 1924 and obviously, the heroes of April 9, and Zviad Gamsakhurdia, defeated a much stronger enemy (I do not mean "strong" deliberately) and a country with a centuries-old history was restored.

The victory of April 9 is also manifested in the fact that Georgia was restored as the legal successor of the state in 1918, which means - and this needs to be emphasized - 70 years of slavery and alienation have been erased from our legal history. The last 30 years have been hard for us - conflicts, wars, fraternal clashes, occupation of territories, victims - but unhindered progress, development and return to our own - national and European - way!" - says Zurabishvili.

Zurabishvili spoke from the tribune of the one-party parliament about the importance of multipartyism and diversity, taking into account the opinion of others and concessions:

“My words spoken here today cannot be a review of the past. Our past is so valuable, it must be known and cared for because it forms the ground for our present and future: It either separates us and weakens us, or, conversely, unites and strengthens us! 

That is why we can not celebrate April 9 and at the same time not realize that our only strength is just standing together.

Unity can’t be achieved by force or slavery. We have passed this road and we will not return. 

Therefore, diversity, pluralism, as well as multipartyism, are an integral part of this unity, and this is called freedom. This in itself means that we must know how to compromise, whether to take into account the opinion of others or not, at least, to understand them, and to always put the interests of the country above our personal, party or other interests!

Our past has taught us that we win when we are together, and not the other way around - When we are divided into two camps and neither side wants to hear the opinions of the other. April 9 is a proof of that” - says Zurabishvili

The President spent most of her time talking about pandemic and vaccinations:

“Georgia's healthcare, as well as the entire world healthcare, is facing an unprecedented challenge; this challenge is a pandemic. If one thinks that a catastrophe of this magnitude can be dealt alone, or that one political force will be victorious over the defeat of another, it means that we understand nothing of this situation and have no sense of national responsibility. Haven’t we realized that now is not the time for reproaching, we will survive together or we will not.
Here it is necessary to reconcile positions and advice, knowledge and experience. At such times, I consider it completely unacceptable, when without any humanity or compassion, that some Georgians working abroad are criticizing country’s strategy, It offers nothing and thus sows distrust and hopelessness. It is also unacceptable when influential people inside the country, through social networks, spread negative information about the backlash of vaccination and thus increase mistrust and fear. We all know that rare cases accompany all vaccination campaigns, but without vaccination the risk of disease is much greater. In this situation, we owe more than an emotional decision, more solidarity, more conscientious involvement - Anyone who can do anything, even in terms of getting vaccines. We must understand that a timely victory over the disease cannot and will not be considered a victory of any government or party. It must be a victory for society that can only be achieved through a united and responsible approach. 

An example of such an approach was shown by Israel, this small country, which as a whole understood well that solidarity and unity contribute to the survival of the economy and the future well-being of each family.
I believe that the first step towards unity is to distribute the existing regulations in the most uniform way.”