I welcome everyone on this sunny day, in this sunny place – in a special city of Georgia.

I welcome the people of Samtredia – all of Samtredia present here.

There is no village here in this district which I have not visited, as I do not come here only during the elections.

A great number of talented people come from here, who work abroad in the name of Georgia.

People of Samtredia are very talented.

Let anyone look at us now, how strong we are, how many we are, how united and special we are.

I know that people are still in poverty in Samtredia, but I would like to give you a firm guarantee and promise you that every person will have insurance in Georgia!

Merab Janelidze knows this topic very well, and of course it will materialize.

Merab is one of the best and talented doctors in Georgia.

I also promise you employment! There is a Nikoladze technical facility in Jikhaisi, which tomorrow will be transformed into one of the most modern technical training and preparation colleges in Georgia. There will be the best college in Samtredia across the whole of Georgia.

I know that many villages still do not have natural gas. I always fulfill my promises and I give you my word that each one of you, each resident of a village, which I have visited many times – each family will have natural gas in Samtredia, every single village will have natural gas and everyone will have an opportunity to benefit from it.

I would also like to tell you that each family will receive 1000 GEL vouchers, so that no one has a problem paying for gas and electricity.

Some would say that we do not keep our promise and that we could not implement the 100 Hospital Program either, but we have!

They would also say that neither could we implement the insurance program, but we are implementing it!

We will arrive to every village with the best roads!

I know that there are villages, where the roads have not been paved yet, but I give you my word – every village will have a good road; every village will have a tractor; every village that does not have gas will have it soon, and will be illuminated like Samtredia in the next few days!

My friends, I would like to tell you that these are the decisive elections for Georgia. This is the referendum on what we have achieved in the past 8 years.

Neither mine, nor Merab Janelidze’s fate is being decided here, but the fate of the entire country, of our children, our youth, of each one of us is being decided here.

I used to come here 8-9-10 years ago – in the darkened Georgia, and remember very well how the criminals prospered here; I remember well the corruption that was present here, how they imposed their interests with corrupt elements on us…

Today in this sunny, very special city, which I will be particularly indebted to from today on, I would like to state to the attention of whole country: if Georgia is a better country than it was 8 years ago, then we have no right to retreat! Our road, our route is only moving forward, going uphill and developing.

I have to surely say that the Kutaisi Airport is to open in the upcoming weeks, which will serve Samtredia, as well as the whole region.

Samtredia always used to be a railway center and because of that I have ordered, and we will restore the railway department in the next few weeks. Besides this, it should also be an air transportation center, as there will be flights operating from here to Brussels, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Moscow, Kiev…

Samtredia and every district around it have to regain its central function, which it always had.

Whereas today, our opponent has come here and seeds uncertainty – they tell us that it does not matter whether we will be with Europe, Russia or the U.S.

We should be there, where Georgia will be protected, where no one will question the unity of Georgia.

Those who say that it does not matter who started the war, Georgia or Russia, for them it probably does not matter in whose goals they score, in their own or in the goals of the opponent.

That’s what this logic is about.

The brigades who score in their own goals, no matter how big it is, will never prevail.

If you say that we are to be blamed with Russia, that we started the war to free our territory, then you are trying to score in your own goal;

If you are trying to blame Georgia for everything it has gone through for the past years – the energy or the economic embargo and the bombings, i.e. you trying to score in your own goal;

We have been bombed, trampled, hundreds of our children, women, elderly have been killed and they are trying to bring back people who have sued Georgia for committing a crime against Russia! How can you score bigger than that in your own goal?

That is why I want to tell you – until we have “goalkeepers” like Merab Janelidze in our goals, no one will score on us, including our own players!

Of course, our people are still in poverty. When we started the development of Batumi, Kutaisians thought that we would not develop Kutaisi; when we started in Kutaisi, the Kakhetians had an interest; the Samtredians have an interest as well, and it is a fair interest.

I would like to tell you that both Kakheti, as well as other regions are developing today. Look how Akhaltsikhe, Sighnaghi, Mestia, Batumi, Anaklia, have been developed, Telavi is developing now, and we are now also starting Lazika.  

These are the vectors of Georgia’s development, but I have never forgotten that our Samtredia has been, is, and will remain one of the most central units of Georgia.

Hence, this development has to be felt by every single Georgian family.

What sense does it make to watch Batumi from TV, if we will not be able to go and stay in our hotels? What sense does it make if we know that we are developing Akhalkalaki, but our city will not be developed?

Everything is interlinked and it is one big component of a common Georgia success made up of islands.

I also came here to present to you the Majoriatarian Deputy candidate, though Merab Janelidze does not need introduction.

There are about 12 thousand people gathered here – it is an absolute record for Samtredia (I have had lots of meetings here and I say it from my experience).

It is a very special moment now, and please share your special attitude for the whole of Georgia to see.

Our candidate for Deputy Merab Janelidze, has cured more patients than the people gathered here.

The latest Georgian technology has to do with stem cell transplantation, and I am stunned, as such a technology is being introduced in the best medical centers of America and Europe.

Today, Americans and Europeans come to Tbilisi to the Republic Hospital, as there is one person – Merab Janelidze who does things, which they can do neither in U.S. nor in Europe.

To tell you the truth, it is a great honor for me that he accepted our proposal – to become our representative in Samtredia, and the representative of Samtredia in the new Parliament in Kutaisi.

By the way, those who like to score in their own goals have the biggest interest in moving the parliament back to Tbilisi – very far from Samtredia, as no one was interested in your opinion there. With this too, they want to score in their own goals – hence, in the “goals” of Samtredia, but if we have a good goalkeeper, they will fail to do so.

A very important thing is being decided on the Election Day, my dear friends – the fate of the future and freedom of Georgia.

I spent the last few days with my family in a pretty village of Zemo Imereti, where there is a museum of very famous figures, the museum of Tsereteli.

On the eve of the independence of Georgia, these people did an incredible thing, but then they deprived us of this freedom in one day, as we had many traitors inside the country. They flattened the country in a few days and Georgia was engulfed into darkness for 70 years.

The whole world is watching us today. We all know that people are still in poverty in Georgia, I know it the best.

I know very well how much struggle it takes to prepare a dinner for a child who returns from school; to provide a child with a good education and child…

I know all of this too well, but the one who calls us to delude ourselves and surrender, which the enemy managed neither through bombings nor the embargoes, means a return to old times, into the darkness.

While being at the Tsereteli Museum, I was reflecting about the generations and people of that time, how much they could have done for their homeland, Sergo Orjonikidze and his associates, who served both the fate and future of the homeland to their interests and ambitions.

Such people have come to the front today. Today our occupant, who defeated us neither through bombing, nor embargo, plans to use people’s poverty and come to power, so that these people surrender themselves at this stage of history.

The fact that we are so numerous today, and that not only one group of people or the statistical part of population is present here, but 12 thousand citizens and individuals, including our children, who have no right to vote yet.

We do have the right to vote and we should not do such a thing which would make these children regret for the next 70 years, the fact that they did not have the right to vote then.

We should never go back to the past.

I remember well our pre-election campaigns and times, when Samtredia was darkened. What did they talk to us about then? About criminals, 7 month pension debts, the budget cut, ruined roads and all of this was yesterday.

Today and tomorrow should not become the days of yesterday.

The people, who deprived us of pensions, are trying to return to power again; people, who cut budgets every month, are trying to return to power again; people, who promoted criminals and thieves in the country, are trying to return to power all over again!

October 1^st is their last chance, and we should do everything so that they cannot use it, to get rid of them once and for all, and so that they never come back to Georgia.

Such is our fate – Georgia had always been populated by very talented people and we should promote this talent!

If there is any region to be successful in Georgia, Samtredia needs to be one of the first ones.

There are 12 thousand people standing in front of me, and it is crucial for me that you have jobs, have a better prospect, more income, that our children are safe and get the best education in Georgia and abroad, that our future is guaranteed for decades and centuries to come.

My friends, all of this will be decided within the upcoming month in our streets and villages, while on the 1^st of October, at the polling stations.

One of our main merits and achievements is that we always introduce new people.

My objective is not for me or any one of us to remain in power, time will pass and governments will change – it is a normal process.

Our objective is that Georgia is always refreshed with new blood.

We should promote and give prospect to people, who served honestly their job, society and citizens for the entire life.

In this regard, it is a great honor for me that we have our candidates for Deputies, from whom one of the most distinguished is Merab Janelidze.

Our objective is to relay the power to the honest people, who have never been in the government and to the new generation, who will indeed create a new Georgia and will never back down.

I would like to thank you for coming here and thank you for meeting me so cheerfully, despite the fact that you have many problems and work too.  First and foremost, you are the true patriots and citizens of Georgia.

Georgian people will always make the right choice on the condition of freedom, as the world’s biggest patriots, hard working, distinguished, and wise people live precisely in this country. Being a resident of Samtredia, is a state of soul and mind and not a geographical belonging.

This is why we have made a conscious and faultless decision concerning your candidate, whereas no one will impose on you your choice.

I thank you once again.

Every evening, when I turn on the TV, my friends, I think to myself sometimes, where have so many non-patriots come from, so many blind politicians? No matter what channel I watch, there are many like this, but this is what it looks like on TV.

Today, it has been once again confirmed that there are very brave, talented  people who appreciate the good and are interested in it here, who are undefeated in all epochs, all times and, of course, in our times as well.

I return Merab Janelidze from Tbilisi, despite the fact that his departure will be a big loss for Tbilisi. But he is much needed here, as the fate of Georgia will be decided a few kilometers from here, in the new Parliament of Georgia, with new members, new Deputies and very special people!

To our upcoming victory, my friends!