“The complete delegitimization of the regime is the only path to victory. A key miscalculation on October 4 was overestimating the chances of a swift collapse of the regime, convincing ourselves it was possible, and uncritically adopting the narratives pushed by Kotsis — including the Atoneli Palace episode,” Jailed Former President Mikheil Saakashvili wrote on social media.

Saakashvili argued that while there are internal fissures within the regime, those alone will not cause its collapse. “For this to produce, it is necessary to mobilize 400,000–500,000 people,” he wrote.

“The regime has already been delegitimized both domestically and internationally by roughly 80%. That is why participating in the so-called local elections was an unforgivable mistake: rather than weakening the regime, it served to bolster its legitimacy.

There are two remaining paths to complete delegitimization: intensifying protests at home and exposing the regime on the international stage.

Everyone who refuses to cooperate with the regime should take part. We certainly have the human and intellectual resources for it,” he concluded.