Georgian President Comments on Upcoming Runoff

President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili commented on the second round of the presidential elections, claiming the current electoral subjects and political parties were not serving the interests of the Georgian citizens.

In his interview with the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Margvelashvili explained why he had decided not to take part in the elections.

“I decided not to run because, constitutionally, the President has very limited rights and I would not be able to be effective. Secondly, I knew the political landscape and the reality. If I had participated in the race, I would have had to team up either with one camp or the other,” he said, referring to the ruling party Georgian Dream (GD) and the main opposition party the United National Movement (UNM).

The President says that if he supported one of the parties, it would be wrong, adding neither UNM nor the GD express his position.

“These parties do not serving the interests of our citizens either,” Margvelashvili claimed.

Margvelashvili became the fourth President of Georgia on November 17, 2013. His term expires on November 28, when Georgian citzens elect a new president.

The two candidates who will run the runoff are GD-supported Salome Zurabishvili and the candidate of the United Opposition, member of the UNM Grigol Vashadze.

By Thea Morrison