Appathurai to runner-up in Georgian presidential race: it’s time all political parties respect one another

Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy and NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai says that when the elections are over it is time for all political parties to respect one another.

Appathurai made the statement before his meeting with the former opposition presidential candidate Grigol Vashadze, who stated today that the opposition will protest the 28 November presidential election results on the inauguration day on 16 December.

The political message I want to voice during my meeting with Grigol Vashadze is that elections always divide parties and raises the political temperature.

However, now [when the elections are over] it is time for unity and all political parties should show respect to one another,” Appathurai stated.

Vashadze told the media that he has known Appathurai since the time he [Vashadze] served as the foreign minister of Georgia [2008-2012].

We had an excellent working relationship,” Vashadze said.

He stated that the election was conducted with “multiple violations” which made the elections “actually illegitimate.”

He said that he also intended to discuss NATO-Georgia relations at the meeting.