Argumentative speech analysis of Zviad Gamsakhudria’s first speech as the President of Georgia

Abstract

The article analyzes Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s first speech following his victory in the presidential elections on May 26, 1991, which he delivered on June 7, 1991. Using political linguistic and corpus linguistic methods, particularly topos analysis, the speech was analyzed with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of Gamsakhurdia’s political language and argumentative strategies. The analysis of the vocabulary revealed that the most frequent lexemes and their collocations have a politically official and statesmanlike connotation. Notably, the frequent use of the modal particle unda, which expresses necessity, stands out. This, along with the topos analysis revealing a strong dominance of goal-oriented topoi, suggests that Gamsakhurdia’s speech was a programmatic appeal for his presidency. He covers a vast variety of topics, outlining the goals of his political course while also emphasizing his legitimacy and authority as president. In this context, he refers both to the support of the people and to Georgia’s historical mission and the protection of God.