Georgian Dream's candidate launches election campaign
By Nazrin Gadimova
Presidential candidate of the ruling Georgian Dream coalition Giorgi Margvelashvili will begin his campaign on August 12 from ancient city Nokalakevi (Western Georgia), where Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is to present him.
Giorgi Margvelashvili's electoral headquarter's Head Davit Saganelidze said commencing the election campaign in this settlement is symbolic.
"Nokalakevi is the land, every inch of which is filled with a great history of Georgia and preserves the greatest traditions of the Georgian people," Saganelidze noted. "Launching his election campaign from Nokalakevi means that Giorgi Margvelashvili should be the successor of Georgian traditions, Georgian nationality, and Georgian unity. This symbol is chosen not by chance."
Recall that the presidential candidate from UNM, which is in a minority in the Georgian parliament, is former speaker of the Georgian parliament Davit Bakradze.
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.
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.