Salome Zurabishvili Continues Campaign Meetings
Salome Zurabishvili, the ruling party-backed presidential candidate, continues campaigning for the November 28 runoff. Zurabishvili met with young winemakers in Kakheti on November 19, two days after her meeting with a women’s group in Tbilisi.
At yesterday’s meeting in village Kisiskhevi in Kakheti region, Georgia’s wine country, Zurabishvili was accompanied by Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili, Kakheti Governor Irakli Kadagishvili and Metropolitan Davit of Alaverdi Eparchy.
The candidate focused on the wine industry in her address, highlighting the role of the private sector and individuals in its development. “What this country needs most is the economy based on strong, free individuals and you are the frontrunners in this regard,” she told the winemakers.
Zurabishvili also touched upon the importance of regional development, stressing the need for eradicating economic imbalance between Tbilisi and the regions, which is “typical of underdeveloped countries.”
The presidential hopeful spoke on ways to promote the country’s wine culture abroad. Zurabishvili said “by exporting Georgian wine, we have demonstrated that Georgia is not only a recipient of assistance, a weak, poor country, but a strong country with strong past, culture and civilization.”
At her meeting with members of the Women for Justice, a Tbilisi-based group affiliated with the ruling Georgian Dream party, Zurabishvili spoke on participation of women in politics, saying women are not adequately engaged in politics, but are ready to do so.
“Women are a force of progress and it is very natural; when you have a child, grandchild, you look ahead … and the [new] society that is being slowly created now, is a society that will give solidarity, liberty and justice to our children, and this is why I am coming to presidency,” she said.
Zurabishvili spoke on her other priorities as well, pledging not to be engaged in “party politics,” but instead invest her time in transforming the society. “I would like to change the society, to build a genuinely modern Georgian society, not a copy of another country, but a society that is modern, just and Georgian,” she noted.
The candidate also spoke on the role of education and healthcare. Zurabishvili highlighted the need for carrying out information campaigns “to show to the youth what harm drug use can cause to their health and their future, and how they can pursue their life in another way.”
MPs Mariam Jashi and Ghia Jorjoliani addressed the meeting as well, calling on the attendees to vote for Zurabishvili.
Zurabishvili – resumed the election campaign on November 8, but has not been actively campaigning. The ruling party, which endorsed Zurabishvili’s presidential bid, but had previously touted her as an independent, has decided to take over the campaign organization entirely following her unexpectedly meek performance in the first round.
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