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The News in Brief

Thursday, November 4
Prepared by the Messenger Staff

President Zourabichvili Holds Special Briefing to Comment on Election Results

Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili held a special briefing and congratulated the public on the ‘peaceful elections’. Zourabichvili added that no one should consider themselves a winner since the country is in turmoil and should ‘calm down’.

“The elections are over and I would like to congratulate the people of Georgia on the peaceful elections despite the unprecedented polarization and the use of hate speech. I would like to congratulate the newly elected members, mayors and wish them success in their service. The elections were peaceful. The number of incidents in the polling stations was unprecedentedly low. The significantly improved results of the opposition are directly related to the free expression of the will of the voters. The reduction of the difference between the results of the candidates is also indicative of democratic elections. It is noteworthy that the administration of the election process by the CEC was assessed as a high level of professionalism.

The elections are over, but no one should consider themselves the real winner, as neither the country nor the society is the winner. The country needs to calm down and have stability in order to return to the path of development, and the society needs peace and transition from political confrontation to action, on the one hand concentrating on the main issues that no force alone can overcome, and on the other hand ending destabilization attempts as only external forces benefit from destabilization.

Today, everyone has one question — what will happen now, how and in what form polarization should end. This can be achieved neither by street, nor by destabilization, nor by endlessly demanding elections, nor by rejecting mandates again, nor by boycotting, nor by hatred, nor by not recognizing the winner and nor by humiliating those who lost. What to do, how to achieve results, how to get out of this magic circle?

The actual elections allow us to do this, allow us to start from the bottom, where it is easier to start cooperating on issues that are aimed at solving the local problems of citizens. This is and should be the meaning and purpose of local elections. The media has a big responsibility, because it can play a very important role in calming the society down and reducing polarization,” said the President.