Ex-speaker Bakradze wins fifth round of election primaries in Georgia
By Nazrin Gadimova
Leader of the parliamentary minority and former speaker of the Georgian parliament Davit Bakradze won the third round of the election primaries at President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM), which was held in Adjara on July 21.
Bakradze is followed by Giorgi Baramidze, Zurab Japaridze and Shota Malashkhia.
This time about 165 delegates came together from the region of Adjara and Guria in Batumi.
The presidential candidate from UNM will be finally determined on July 28. In total, five more party conferences will be held in different regions of the country. The last conference will be held in the capital Tbilisi.
The 2013 presidential election in Georgia is scheduled for October. This will be the 6th presidential election after the country's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The last one, held on January 5, 2008, resulted in the election of Mikheil Saakashvili for his second and final presidential term. According to the constitution, Saakashvili cannot run for a third consecutive term.
Georgia's Central Election Commission has already registered 21 candidates for presidency. These seven candidates are Mikheil Saluashvili, Tariel Khvedelidze, Nestan Kirtadze, Giorgi Gakhokia, Shalva Natelashvili, Mamuka Chokhonelidze, Nikoloz Gorgijanidze, Giorgi Targamadze, Sergo Javakhidze, Giorgi Chikhladze, Merab Gorgadze, Giorgi Liluashvili, Gia Chkhikvadze, Levan Chachua, Merab Suliashvili, Besik Adamia, Avtandil Margiani, Avtandil Pilauri, Avtandil Ioseliani, Mamuka Melikishvili and Nugzar Avaliani.
Upon the inauguration of a new president in 2013, a series of constitutional amendments passed in the parliament of Georgia from 2010 to 2013 will go into effect. The amendments envisage significant reduction of the President's powers in favor of the Prime Minister.