"If suddenly our demands are met, are we supposed to say – ‘No, give us a little time, we’re not ready yet, we’ll prepare and then hold elections’? We are generally preparing for everything — preparation and participation are completely different things,” — said Giorgi Baramidze, one of the leaders of United National Movement, to journalists.

As Baramidze noted, every party must be prepared for any scenario that may unfold in the country.

"The right struggle leads to victory. The wrong struggle — cooperation, whether open or hidden, with a traitorous and criminal regime, and their attempts to gain legitimacy — leads to undesirable results. Two times two is four. The right struggle is the path to victory, and it will inevitably lead us there. What this or that party does may not be of decisive importance. Overall, this may be painful for Georgian society at this stage of the struggle, because this treacherous, criminal regime will use it as an excuse.

However, I am confident that the absolute majority of Georgian society will stand firm and not take part in the games of this criminal regime. Let me state very clearly once again — we all, the Georgian public, are demanding civilized, normal, and at least somewhat democratic elections. Therefore, elections are what we want.

But we do not want, and will not participate in, a special operation that this regime wants to present as an election. That’s the difference. Whoever wants to participate in a special operation — which this regime of criminals and traitors calls elections — that’s their business, and we’ll see what they do. Those who want real elections and are fighting for them will not participate in the so-called elections that are, in fact, a special operation — and that too will become clear.

We are preparing for everything in general, because no one knows what situation may arise at what time or in what context. That’s why every party must be prepared for anything. We’ve said it before — for thirteen years now we’ve been fighting this regime, and we’re ready at any moment to be arrested, ambushed, brutally beaten, or shot at.

Naturally, a political party must also be ready for anything. If elections are announced as a result of pressure from the Georgian people and our Western partners — elections that are at least somewhat democratic or contain some democratic elements — everyone must be ready. That’s why preparation and participation are two completely different things. We are preparing for everything — we’ve said this many times. We must be ready for all possible scenarios in the country. That doesn’t mean participating in a special operation that the regime wants to pass off as an election.

It’s very simple — if our demands are suddenly met, are we then supposed to say, ‘No, give us a bit more time, we’re not ready yet, we’ll prepare and then hold elections’? We must always be ready for that. What’s the problem in that? I don’t know what kind of ‘America’ someone thinks they’ve discovered in this,” Baramidze said.