Burjanadze Addresses Nation Ahead of Polls

Nino Burjanadze, the acting president, has called for a high voter turnout for tomorrow’s presidential election.

Speaking in a televised address to the nation ahead of the polls, Burjanadze said that a high voter turnout would be “a guarantee of a democratic election.”

“I am glad that over 1,000 international observers – an unprecedented number of observers – will be monitoring the election,” she said. “The Central Election Commission and the Justice Ministry will do everything to respond to even minor violations, so please inform them of such violations on their hotline.”

“I want to tell election commission members, representatives of local self-governance, governors, policemen and political party activists to do everything necessary to secure a free election in a calm atmosphere and to prevent provocations.”

She then said that Georgia was still in the process of building a democracy and difficulties were to be expected along the way. “The election results will not be acceptable to everyone; there will be winners and losers and the true mark of a democracy is when the winner celebrates and the loser concedes victory with dignity,” Burjanadze said.

“This election, of course, does not mean the end of political life in the country; we have much to do after the election and political life will continue and we may very soon have parliamentary elections.”

Alongside tomorrow’s election, voters will also have to decide in a plebiscite on the timing of the next parliamentary elections – either this spring, as advocated by the opposition, or later in the year, as mandated by the constitution. The government maintains they should be held in accordance with the constitution.

Burjanadze also told the electorate in her address that stability and democracy were “essential in overcoming unemployment, so you should all take this into consideration [in voting].”