GEORGIA: Ruling coalition candidate and front runner in Georgia's presidential elections Georgy Margvelashvili declares he will pull out in case of a runoff and promises strengthened ties with Russia and Western partners

Record ID: 643273

  • Title: GEORGIA: Ruling coalition candidate and front runner in Georgia's presidential elections Georgy Margvelashvili declares he will pull out in case of a runoff and promises strengthened ties with Russia and Western partners
  • Date: 22nd October 2013
  • Summary: TBILISI, GEORGIA (OCTOBER 20, 2013) (REUTERS) MARGVELASHVILI ENTERING ROOM FOR INTERVIEW LOGO OF IVANISHVILI'S COALITION READING IN ENGLISH "GEORGIAN DREAM" (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRONT-RUNNER CANDIDATE NOMINATED BY RULING GEORGIAN DREAM COALITION GEORGY MARGVELASHVILI, SAYING: "It is our goal not only to win these elections but to make these elections a very special milestone for consolidating democracy in Georgia." TBILISI, GEORGIA (RECENT - OCTOBER, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MARGVELASHVILI SUPPORTERS AT START OF ELECTION RALLY TBILISI, GEORGIA (OCTOBER 20, 2013) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRONT-RUNNER CANDIDATE NOMINATED BY RULING GEORGIAN DREAM COALITION GEORGY MARGVELASHVILI, SAYING: "We have declared that if there is a runoff we are not going to participate but the main thing is that we are more than sure, we are absolutely confident that there will be no runoff. That is why we made this declaration. This declaration was a form of "get out to vote" appeal to nation." TBILISI, GEORGIA (RECENT - OCTOBER, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MARGVELASHVILI ADDRESSING SUPPORTERS AT PRE-ELECTION RALLY TBILISI, GEORGIA (OCTOBER 20, 2013) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRONT-RUNNER CANDIDATE NOMINATED BY RULING GEORGIAN DREAM COALITION GEORGY MARGVELASHVILI, SAYING: "Opposition and the majority in the parliament has completely agreed on the basic directions of our development which is specifically, very specifically noted that our integration in Europe and Euro-Atlantic structures is (the) overall goal of our national foreign policy. At the same time we were pretty effective to show possibility of decreasing temperature with Russia." GEORGIAN DREAM SYMBOL AND PARTY NUMBER IN ELECTION BULLETIN "41" ON WALL TBILISI, GEORGIA (OCTOBER 20, 2013) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRONT-RUNNER CANDIDATE NOMINATED BY RULING GEORGIAN DREAM COALITION GEORGY MARGVELASHVILI, SAYING: "Decreasing temperature with Russia, the Russian Federation is improving chances of becoming more actively engaged in Euro and Euro-Atlantic process." TBILISI, GEORGIA (RECENT - OCTOBER, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MARGVELASHVILI HANDING OUT SIGNATURES TO HIS SUPPORTERS AFTER PRE-ELECTION RALLY TBILISI, GEORGIA (OCTOBER 21, 2013) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRONT-RUNNER CANDIDATE NOMINATED BY RULING GEORGIAN DREAM COALITION GEORGY MARGVELASHVILI, SAYING: "There is quite a bit of challenges that we are facing and I am hoping that for the next presidential elections (in 2018) Georgian society will not be choosing between chaos and stability. It will be choosing between presidents, which is good and the best." PRE-ELECTION POSTER OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CANDIDATE, DAVID BAKRADZE PRE-ELECTION POSTERS OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CANDIDATES NINO BURHANADZE AND GEORGY MARGVELASHVILI
  • Embargoed: 6th November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Georgia
  • Country: Georgia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8RFETIR1BUVPWS1T4CGE9G961
  • Story Text: Georgia is gearing up for a presidential election on Sunday (October 27), largely seen as a confidence vote for billionaire Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili's coalition and his candidate Georgy Margvelashvili.
    Many are predicting a runoff vote, but this is sharply rebuffed by the tycoon who plans to quit his post shortly after the election.
    The election heralds the end of a decade rule of President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is barred from running by the country's constitution. It will at the same time bring in a major change of Georgia's political system, introducing a shift from the presidential power to a parliamentary state.
    The upcoming poll will be a battle between three main contenders among 23 candidates - Margvelashvili from the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, David Bakradze, an opposition member of parliament from the president's United National Movement (UNM), and an opposition politician Nino Burjanadze.
    Opinion polls, including one conducted by the respected U.S. National Democratic Institute, show that 44-year-old philosopher Margvelashvili in a clear lead, although suggest a probability of a runoff.
    Margvelashvili said one week before the vote that he would not continue the race if does not get more than a half of the votes cast in the first round.

    "It is our goal not only to win these elections but to make these elections a very special milestone for consolidating democracy in Georgia," Margvelashvili said.

    "We have declared that if there is a runoff we are not going to participate but the main thing is that we are more than sure, we are absolutely confident that there will be no runoff. That is why we made this declaration. This declaration was a form of "get out to vote" appeal to nation," he added.
    Georgia, a conduit for pipelines pumping Caspian Sea energy westward and a platform for geopolitical rivalry between the United States and Russia, has marked the first peaceful transfer of power through the parliamentary election last October, when Ivanishvili's coalition defeated Saakashvili's long-ruling party.
    Relations with Russia is a major challenge facing Saakashvili's successor and Margvelashvili's stand for better ties with Moscow at the same time as closer Euro-Atlantic integration could be seen as hedging his bets.
    Continuing improvement of ties with Russia, severed by a war between the countries in 2008, is a policy introduced by Ivanishvili first by after his party came to power in 2012.

    "Opposition and the majority in the parliament has completely agreed on the basic directions of our development which is specifically, very specifically noted that our integration in Europe and Euro-Atlantic structures is (the) overall goal of our national foreign policy. At the same time we were pretty effective to show possibility of decreasing temperature with Russia," Margvelashvili said.

    "Decreasing temperature with Russia, the Russian Federation is improving chances of becoming more actively engaged in Euro and Euro-Atlantic process," he added.
    Political insiders and analysts say that Margvelashvili's expected victory will end bitter rivalry between president and prime minister, but won't bring more certainty in Georgia's political future.
    Uncertainty caused by Ivanishvili's decision to quit his job shortly after the election may cause some shifts inside the ruling coalition - a hectic group of six parties with different political platforms.

    "There is quite a bit of challenges that we're facing and I am hoping that for the next presidential elections (in 2018) Georgian society will not be choosing from chaos and stability. It will be choosing between presidents which will be good and the best," said Margvelashvili about the future of his country.
    Constitutional amendments, which come into force after the election, aim to curb some presidential prerogatives. Margvelashvili, who does not have a strong political background, is not widely seen as a strong enough leader of the coalition to consolidate the reforms.
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