“This mudslinging achieves nothing. No one will gain additional political points from it. It is very sad to see the architect of the Rose Revolution and a man who is truly one of the authors of independent Georgia fall to the level he has reached today,” said Tazo Datunashvili, one of the leaders of Strong Georgia - Lelo, in response to former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who recently stated that “Lelo is Badri and Mamuka’s business project.”

According to Datunashvili, Saakashvili first “handed Georgia over to the Russians and Ivanishvili, then handed over himself, and in between managed to dismantle the United National Movement several times.”

“Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze have been successful in absolutely everything they have done. Mikheil Saakashvili first handed this country over to the Russians and Ivanishvili, then handed over himself, and in the meantime repeatedly dismantled the United National Movement, which was once the flagship of the Rose Revolution.

Saakashvili occasionally has moments of clear thinking. During one such moment, he said: ‘No one can build political capital by insulting others.’ I agree with that statement, and I would advise him to listen to his own words from time to time. I know how highly he regards himself.

This mudslinging brings nothing. No one will gain additional political points from it. It is simply very sad to see the architect of the Rose Revolution and a man who truly is one of the authors of independent Georgia fall to the level he has reached today,” Datunashvili stated.

For context, during a court hearing, Saakashvili criticized parts of the opposition, saying:

“How can an opposition win when the majority of it tries to establish itself at my expense, and some do not hesitate to cooperate with the dictator’s accomplices? How can opposition parties win when they are business projects of business groups? With all due respect, Lelo is Badri and Mamuka’s business project. Akhali, no matter how much we try to ignore it, was formed from the outset as the Gilauri brothers’ project - not to win, but to take voters away from my United National Movement electorate,” Saakashvili said.