GEORGIA: Ivanishvili Says the Role of Orthodox Church to Strengthen

Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream’s Honorary Chairman, said “the mission of Orthodox Christianity, as a pillar of the Georgian state identity, will be clearly reflected in the Georgian Constitution,” should the party obtain the desired constitutional majority in the elections, while addressing a crowd as part of the election campaign in western Georgian town of Ozurgeti.

Earlier in the week, the Georgian Patriarchate revealed that the ruling party had proposed declaring the Orthodox Christianity the state religion, although the Patriarchate rejected the proposal, fearing state influence over it. In his speech today in Ozurgeti, Ivanishvili refrained from saying that the GD promises to grant Orthodox Christianity official status as the state religion, saying instead that the agreement has been reached with the Patriarchate to strengthen the role of the Church. He did not elaborate what this entails exactly.

“To further strengthen the constitutional status of Orthodox Christianity and the Orthodox Church, and the constitutional provision to more accurately reflect the existing reality, the mission of Orthodox Christianity as a pillar of Georgian state identity will be clearly reflected in the Georgian Constitution,” Ivanishvili said. He added: “The special role of the Orthodox Church in the history of Georgia and in the contemporary life of our country will also be emphasized.” Ivanishvili said that “the Georgian Constitution will fully strengthen the principles of independence of the Orthodox Church and freedom of faith.”

The GD Honorary Chairman said that Orthodox Christianity, along with homeland and language, is “one of the key foundations of our identity” and noted that “attacks against the Orthodox Church do not cease.”

The Georgian Constitution recognizes the “special historical role” of the Orthodox Church, and a separate constitutional law grants it certain privileges; Ivanishvili seemed to suggest that these provisions are not enough. However, since he did not explicitly state that the GD plans to declare Orthodox Christianity the state religion, it remains unclear what constitutional changes the party intends to pursue.

On top of this, the GD Honorary Chairman’s speech to party supporters in Ozurgeti echoed his earlier speeches in other towns as part of the GD’s regional pre-election campaign: he reiterated the intention to ban the “collective UNM,” a term encompassing virtually all opposition, and crack down on LGBT in the name of protecting family values after the elections.

Ivanishvili again delivered his speech from behind bulletproof glass, aside from the other GD strongmen. Earlier in the day, the media reported a heavy police presence in the city.

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