Patriarch Believes that Presidential Candidates will Help Each Other after Elections
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, November 26
Georgian Patriarch Ilia II addressed presidential candidates Grigol Vashadze and Salome Zurabishvili on Saint George’s Day on Friday and stated that he believed that after the November 28 presidential election runoff, the candidates would stand together and help each other.
“I am sure you will worthily accept both victory and defeat in the elections. I am convinced that you, who have passed this difficult period, will help each other. St. George will help you, "the patriarch said.
Both candidates attended the service at the Trinity Cathedral that day and both of them received icons from the Patriarch, who also believed that the election runoff would be conducted peacefully.
Zurabishvili is an independent presidential candidate endorsed by the Georgian Dream ruling party, while Vashadze was named for the role by the United National Movement opposition and then was supported by nine other opposition parties.
Zurabishvili received 0.9 percent more votes in the first round of elections on October 28 than Vashadze. However, as none of them were able to gain at least 51 percent of votes the second round was scheduled.
Both the local and international organizations say that the competition is high and the pre-election period in the country is characterized by aggression.
The ruling party claims that the aggression is coming from the opposition.
Zurabishvili has stated that she and her family have received threats from the people affiliated with the opposition party, which ran the country from 2003 to 2012.
The opposition for its part claims that the government will do its utmost, including the use of administrative resources or fabricating the elections, to win the race.
