GEORGIA: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili concedes defeat and announces his party now becomes the opposition

Record ID: 643566

  • Title: GEORGIA: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili concedes defeat and announces his party now becomes the opposition
  • Date: 3rd October 2012
  • Summary: TBILISI, GEORGIA (OCTOBER 2, 2012) (REUTERS) PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
  • Embargoed: 18th October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Georgia
  • Country: Georgia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2F7XEBOGX7PAUUWVKREA3C342
  • Story Text: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on Tuesday (October 2) his ruling party United National Movement had lost a parliamentary election to an opposition coalition and that he would respect the voters' will.
    "Dear countrymen, as preliminary results of the parliamentary elections show it is clear that the Georgian Dream got the majority," Saakashvili said in a televised address to the nation.
    Saakashvili pledged to abide by the country's constitution and help the opposition to form a new government.
    "This means the parliamentary majority should set up a new government, and I, as a president, according our constitution will support the process so that the parliament can start work, and it should elect the chairman of the parliament and set up a new government," Saakashvili said.
    In remarks that increased the chances of a peaceful handover of power to a new government in the former Soviet republic after victory for the Georgian Dream coalition, he said his own party would now become the opposition.
    "As a leader of the United National Movement, that National Movement goes into opposition," he said and added that his party would defend the gains and achievements of the period since Georgia threw off the post-Soviet old guard.
    Georgian Dream's strong showing was an indictment of Saakashvili, who was first elected in 2004 after the Rose Revolution - street protests over alleged fraud in a parliamentary election.
    The U.S.-educated politician won praise for curbing corruption and implementing economic reforms, but he led Georgia into a disastrous five-day war with Russia over two breakaway regions in 2008.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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