Saakashvili Speaks of Preferences in MP By-Elections
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili called on the voters on October 22 to support the nominees of the ruling National Movement party in upcoming MP by-elections in four single-mandate constituencies, scheduled for October 24.
The National Movement has nominated its candidates in Tbilisi?s two ? Krtsanisi and Didube – single-mandate constituencies as well as in the Zestaponi provincial constituency. However, the ruling party did not nominate its MP candidate in the Gori district. But Saakashvili called on the Gori voters to cast their ballot for Jumber Patiashvili, who is the leader of the Ertoba political movement.
?Jumber Patiashvili is not a member of our party; also he is a former communist party leader [in late 80s]. That is why we could not nominate him as our candidate. But we did not nominate anyone at all because this person [Jumber Patiashvili] was standing beside us during the revolution, that is why he enjoys our support,? President Saakashvili said on October 22.
The ruling party nominated Giorgi Asanidze, who won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Athens in weightlifting, to run in the Krtsanisi single-mandate constituency. He will have to compete with Nodar Natadze, leader of the People?s Front.
Teimuraz Cheishvili was nominated to run for the MP position in the Didube single-mandate constituency. He will compete with Jumber Tavartkiladze, who is an ally of non-partisan opposition MP Koba Davitashvili.
Teimuraz Tsertsvadze, the former governor of Zestaponi and a member of the ruling party, will run in the Zestaponi single-mandate constituency.
The Parliament passed a highly-controversial amendment to the election code on October 12, which abolishes the minimum one-third turnout required for a by-election to be valid. Hence, no matter how many voters will cast a ballot in the October 24 by-elections, the polls will be declared valid.
