President Zurabishvili to citizens: ‘Go vote in peaceful, fair elections’
Georgia will hold parliamentary election on October 31 in full compliance with the coronavirus-related safety preconditions aimed to prevent the further spread of the virus during the election day. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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‘Go vote! Go vote in the peaceful, fair elections!’ ’Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has called on citizens ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections of October 31.
Zurabishvili congratulated those who will be going to the polls for the first time. She said they ‘will take part in the development of the state for the first time and thus determine the future of their country’.
Our coming to the polls is the best answer to all the existing challenges and our unalterable guarantee of tomorrow. It's the duty of every citizen - yours, mine”, President Zurabishvili said.
In her remarks President Zurabishvili spoke of a number of other issues, including the coronavirus pandemic, which are ‘the current and unalterable priorities’ of Georgia ‘at this important stage for the country’.
Condemning the attacks carried out on the army, law enforcement and health officials, Salome Zurabishvili said it is her ‘duty to protect these structures and individuals on which the present and the future of our country stand’.
These attacks serve to create a sense of instability in the country, spread fear and panic, and stir up tensions in the pre-election period”, President Zurabishvili said.
She then added that despite the challenge of COVID-19 ‘we can, in full compliance with the health recommendations, show everyone another example of high civic self-awareness’.
Salome Zurabishvili also stated that ‘Georgia remains the most stable and democratic country in this region. We must maintain and strengthen this status’.
Given the conflict in the region, our stability is even more important to us, to the region as a whole, and to our partners. Transparent, peaceful and fair elections on the path to our democratic development will be another step forward”, she said.
Georgia will hold parliamentary election on October 31 in full compliance with the coronavirus-related safety preconditions aimed to prevent the further spread of the virus during the election day.
The ruling Georgian Dream party would receive 56% of votes if elections were held today, Imedi TV commissioned poll says. The poll, carried out by US-based Public Opinion Strategies, is based on 1,518 interviews conducted by Gorbi between October 9 and October 20.
A nine-member delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will travel to Georgia from 29 October to 1 November to observe the conduct of the parliamentary elections.
US ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says that the success of the October 31 parliamentary elections is up to the Georgian Dream government and the Georgian people.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia told journalists earlier today that the election campaign of the ruling Georgia Dream party is ‘very open and transparent’. At the meeting with journalists in the western Georgian town of Poti, PM Gakharia denied allegations that the government had been using administrative resources, threats and resorting to vote-buying.
A public opinion poll commissioned by the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi says the ruling Georgian Dream party would receive 23% of votes if parliamentary elections were held next week, followed by the United National Movement with 18% of votes.
The European Union has announced today the deployment of a European diplomatic watch, which will send over 70 teams to visit over 1,000 polling stations in Georgia on the election day on October 31. Travelling in specially EU marked cars and wearing EU vests and hats, the diplomatic watch teams will follow all relevant COVID-19 safety precautions.
Mobile police groups have been created in every region of Georgia in order to ensure a free, secure and peaceful environment on election day on October 31. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) says that if necessary, the mobile groups are obliged to instantly react to offences during the elections.
A day before the parliamentary elections Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has urged people to make their choice at ballot boxes as the elections will define the country’s development for years to come. He stated that Georgia is able to show the world how to hold ‘exemplary elections’ despite the pandemic. "I will say once again. The pandemic will be over, we will also cope with the economic crisis. However, the elections which will be held tomorrow will define the country’s fate for years. That is why I urge our citizens to vote,” Gakharia said.
On election day the European diplomatic watch will assemble no less than 70 teams and visit some 1000 polling stations on election day throughout the country, said EU ambassador Carl Hartzell.
"We must go to the elections so that peace and stability may be uninterrupted", the ruling Georgian Dream party founder and chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili said, addressing the nation a day before the parliamentary elections on October 31.