Badri Patarkatsishvili, a business tycoon who has pledged to finance the opposition’s campaign, made a surprise appearance on the ongoing demonstration outside the parliament on November 2.

“I salute you Georgia. I have arrived today [from London] specifically for the purpose to tell the Lord from this very place that I am grateful for being here – right beside my people in the time of trouble,” he told the crowd of thousands of protesters. “The Georgian people have conformed for many times that it is a wise nation. We are concerned about what is going on. Please confirm it again and do everything to make the authorities agree on a dialogue and do everything to achieve the situation, wherein the government of people is elected through elections. The country does not need chiefs.”
 
“I am not a person with an experience in staging demonstrations, but I decided to come here just to look into your eyes and tell you: I have no ambition of having any official position; the only ambition I have is to be an ordinary citizen of Georgia who will be able to build united and prosperous Georgia. I believe that we have enough wisdom to solve problems through political means.”

He reiterated that he fully shared the demand to hold elections in April, instead of late 2008.

Earlier today, when he arrived back to Tbilisi from London, he told Imedi TV that he did not plan to attend the protest rally.