Parliament Speaker: Georgia to have President with “main feature, loyalty to people, serving country’s interests”

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said the country’s new President would have a “main feature” that was “loyalty” to the Georgian people and “serving the interests” of the country.

In his interview with Rustavi 2 TV channel, Papuashvili highlighted the “successful” political and sports career of Mikheil Kavelashvili, the ruling Georgian Dream party’s candidate for the presidency.

He [Kavelashvili] has been active in politics for eight years. He is one of the main leaders, political figures and members of the Parliament. For over the last 20 years, yet when the National Movement [the opposition United National Movement party] was in power, he was [always] against the [UNM] regime, and after the change of the Government, including the present day, he has done everything to ensure that the National Movement […] never return to the country”, Papuashvili noted.

The Parliament Speaker also pointed out the domestic opposition’s “panic reactions” regarding the presidential candidate were the “proof” that the GD party had made the “right decision” on the candidacy.

We will have a President who will have the main quality. Unfortunately, the previous three presidents did not have this quality, that is the loyalty to the Georgian people and serving the interests of the country", he added.

Earlier today, the GD party named Kavelashvili as its presidential candidate for the election scheduled for December 14. The MP and former national football team player was presented by Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and Honorary Chair of the party.

According to the new rules, defined by the Constitution, the Georgian President will no longer be elected directly, through universal suffrage.

The Central Election Commission, to elect the President, will form an electoral college, composed of 300 members.