Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

The total number of voters in Georgia who will elect the country's president on October 27 is 3,537,719, Spokesperson of the Georgian Central Election Commission Ekaterina Azarashvili told journalists on October 20.

Azarashvili said this number does not include residents of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region in South Ossetia.

According to the CEC, 48,458 Georgian citizens will vote in the elections in the specially created 52 polling stations abroad. Georgian citizens in Russia will not be able to take part in the presidential elections due to the lack of diplomatic relations.

The U.S. National Democratic Institute (NDI), in turn, makes conclusion based on the results of public opinion surveys conducted in Georgia on the eve of the presidential elections that most of Georgia's population will participate in the upcoming presidential elections.

Some 73 percent of respondents gave an affirmative answer to the question whether they will participate in the presidential elections if they are held tomorrow. Moreover, the number of willing to take part in the election in Tbilisi was 77 percent, while in regions this number was 71 percent.

According to the NDI, 77 percent of respondents across Georgia believe that the upcoming October 27 presidential elections will be well organized.

The researches were carried out in the period from August 18 to September 3, and 3,838 respondents in Tbilisi and the regions of Georgia were interviewed within them.

Thus, 21 percent of the respondents believe that the elections will be held very well, 56 percent say that the elections will be held more or less well, 11 percent believe that the elections will be rigged to a certain extent and 1 percent expect total fraud of the elections.

The first three major obstacles that may interfere to conduct free and fair elections include bribery of voters (this problem was called by 29 percent of the respondents), problems with the voter lists (27 percent) and voting to preserve the workplace (21 percent).

NDI provided data on the 2012 parliamentary elections in Georgia. While 13 percent of respondents believed that the upcoming elections will be very good, 47 percent expected a more or less good elections, as well as 18 percent expected a fraud, and 3 percent - total falsification.

In turn, OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has published a report on the progress of the election campaign in Georgia, according to which the campaign is held in a more quiet atmosphere than campaign before the parliamentary elections of 2012.

The authors of the report point out that the registration of presidential candidates in the CEC passed transparently, 54 candidates submitted applications, and 31 of them were not registered. Moreover, some applicants withdrew themselves, others were denied in the registration.

The report notes that the Georgian government announced its intention to send state resources to ensure a free and fair election.

"Despite this, the campaign held against the background of tense cohabitation between the ruling Georgian Dream coalition and Saakashvili's United National Movement and between the party leaders," international observers stated.

Moreover, some changes are planned in the government of Georgia. Earlier Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said in an interview with Estonian newspaper Postimees that he intends to leave politics a few days after Saakashvili leaves and new presidential elections are held.

"I do not want, and it would be bad for politics in Georgia, to bet the stake on one person. The most important three posts, I believe, will go to conscientious people, democrats. There is a need for an independent judiciary and free media. We need fresh blood," the prime minister said.

Ivanishvili also expressed doubt that Saakashvili's United National Movement -- whose popularity rating, according to opinion polls, has fallen below 10 percent -- can become a constructive opposition.

At the same time, Ivanishvili said that if United National Movement's candidate Davit Bakradze wins presidential elections, he will present incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili to the post of prime minister.

According to media reports, three members of the government could be considered as the most probable successor as the prime minister. This is the former head of the Ivanishvili Fund and the current Interior Minister Irakli Garibashvili, as well as Defense Minister and leader of the party Our Georgia - Free Democrats Irakli Alasania and Deputy Prime Minister Kakha Kaladze. Garibashvili, who is the youngest of the contenders, reportedly reserves the best chance.

On the eve of the presidential elections Georgia's Central Election Commission has changed the rules of photo- and video shooting at polling stations on Election Day.

According to the CEC decision, cameramen and photographers will be able to freely visit the polling stations during the election process.

Earlier, Georgian non-governmental organizations, who believe that the existing rules prevent the free operation of the media, came out with the demand to change the rules of photo- and video shooting at polling stations.

Presidential elections in Georgia will be held in 9 days, on October 27.

It will be the sixth presidential election after Georgia regained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili cannot re-run because of the two-term limit in the constitution.

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.

Georgia's CEC has registered 23 nominees as the presidential candidates.

The candidates include Labor Party leader Shalva Natelashvili, head of the For a Fair Georgia Party Sergo Javakhidze, Giorgi Margvelashvili from the Georgian Dream-United Georgia, leader of the Democratic Movement - United Georgia Nino Burjanadze, United National Movement's representative Davit Bakradze and former chairman of the Georgian CEC Zurab Kharatishvili. Nestan Kirtadze, Levan Chachua, Avtandil Margiani, Giorgi Liluashvili and Mikheil Saluashvili have been also registered to run for presidency.

More than 50 people have been nominated for presidency, with 12 representing political parties.

According to experts, Margvelashvili, Burjanadze and Bakradze have higher chances of winning.