PM Calls upon Police to Ensure Peace for Presidential Runoff
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, November 28
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has thanked the police for the peaceful conduct of 28 October presidential elections and called upon them to provide same measures for today’s presidential election runoff, in which the ruling party endorsed candidate Salome Zourabichvili and the opposition nominee Grigol Vashadze run.
Bakhtadze vowed fair and peaceful elections, which “has become the tradition” under the Georgian Dream leadership.
“Every voter will have the opportunity to make a free choice prompted by mind and remorse in favor of his/her desired candidate,” Bakhtadze said.
PM also called on citizens for being active in the elections.
November 28, the date of the second round of 2018 presidential elections is declared as a day-off in Georgia.
Bakhtadze said in case of any unlawful act in the election process the government will act in full compliance with the law.
“I call everyone to follow the requirements of the law, not to create a situation in the electoral process that will prevent the expression of the free will of the voters, will pose the threat and ruin the reputation of the election process.
“In case of any unlawful act in the election process, the government will act in full compliance with the law. I am instructing the Ministry of Internal Affairs, each policeman who have shown the highest standard of performing their duties in the first round of elections, to ensure maximum order in the polling stations across the country, and react and prevent any breach of the law in case of necessity,” Bakhtadze stated.
Levan Berdzenishvili from the Republican Party, which has expressed its support to Vashadze, has accused the government of “making fatal mistakes.”
"I can tell you that such an inadequate environment has never been in Georgia. The government has disgraced itself and confirmed that it does no longer deserve to be in power by creating an unprecedented inadequate pre-election environment in the country.
“The government has disgraced itself across the world by committing so many mistakes, crimes, wrongdoings, rallying its supporters, demonizing the opponents and others,” Berdzenishvili said.
In the first round of elections, Zourabichvili received 0.9 percent more votes than Vashadze. However, as no one of them were able to receive more than 50 percent of votes, the second round was scheduled.
