GPB to Hold Candidates’ Debates
The Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) said it would hold debates between presidential candidates twice a week. The socio-economic, education and foreign policy positions of the candidates will be discussed, the GPB said.
Each participant will have two minutes to elaborate his position before an opponent takes the floor. An additional 30 seconds will then be alloted for rebuttal of opponents’ remarks.
The first debates are scheduled for December 7, although the participants have yet to be named.
Most opposition presidential contenders, including Levan Gachechiladze of the nine-party opposition coalition, Davit Gamkrelidze, the leader of New Rights Party, and Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Labor Party, have expressed a willingness to go head-to-head with Mikheil Saakashvili on TV.
Saakashvili said in a televised interview on November 25 that he was amenable to “an issue-based debate.”
Meanwhile, Rustavi 2 TV is expected to start a new political talk show to be hosted by Inga Grigolia. Grigolia previously worked as a political talk show host at Imedi TV. She quit the station following its closure by the authorities.
