Independent MP Salome Zourabichvili announces her candidacy for presidency

Independent MP and former foreign Minister of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has officially announced her candidacy for the presidency. 

The presidential elections will be held on 28 October. 

Zourabichvili, who will run for the presidency on an independent platform, says her goal is to make Georgia a truly European country. 

With its past, Georgia is a European country. We want the EU and NATO. We should become Europeans in our everyday lives,” Zourabichvili said.

She stated that she has had consultations "only with herself” as making the decision was not easy.

Now, when I made the decision I am ready for consultations both with politicians and businesses to attract support and money during the election campaign,” Zourabichvili said.

The ruling party announced today that they will not have a presidential candidate. Photo: Georgian Dream press office. 

The statement came shortly before the announcement of the Georgian Dream ruling party that they will not put forward a presidential candidate for the elections.

After all candidates are nominated, the Georgian Dream will either support an independent candidate or no candidate at all,” Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze stated after the party political council meeting today.

Zourabichvili holds both Georgian and French citizenship. A couple of days ago she launched procedures to renounce her French citizenship as a candidate for the Georgian presidency must only have Georgian citizenship.  

• See Zourabichvili’s biography here.

Current President Giorgi Margvelashvili has not yet announced his election plans.

10 opposition parties, the United National Movement among them, have named former Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze their presidential candidate.

The opposition European Georgia party has nominated former Parliament Speaker David Bakradze as its candidate.