Georgian President tells youth she will be “happy”, “proud” to be their candidate for possible reelection run

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Tuesday said she would be “happy and proud” to be the “candidate of the youth” in a possible run for being reelected in the position.

Zourabichvili was asked if she would consider running for the position again if there was a “consensus” on the candidacy, and said ensuring a “win” in the upcoming parliamentary elections and advancing Georgia’s accession talks with the European Union were priorities ahead of her own potential run in the next presidential voting.

I will be there where I am needed for us to get this cause through - to win the elections [scheduled for October 26]. I want to be the person who defends the outcome [of the elections], gets it to Brussels and gets confirmation that we are going to open accession talks”, she said.

“Whether it will be in the role of the President or in some other role, the future will tell. If I am your presidential candidate, I will be very happy and proud”, she noted.

Zourabichvili last month presented a charter to “rebuild trust and forge a new political reality” in the county ahead of the parliamentary elections, with opposition parties signing on to the document ahead of the vote.

The plan envisages abolishing “laws harmful to the European path” of the country, “liberating the judiciary” and “restoring trust”, ensuring a “fundamental reform” of the Supreme Council of Justice and creating “appropriate conditions for holding free and fair elections”.

The President’s term expires in October.