Georgian UNM not to participate in President's inauguration
By Nazrin Gadimova
Georgian outgoing President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement will not participate in the inauguration of the newly-elected President Giorgi Margvelashvili, who won the October 27 elections.
"Unfortunately, after the elections, tnewly elected President Giorgi Margvelashvili said in his first public statement that he will not cooperate with the opposition," the party's statement reads. "Thus, we reaffirm our respect to all the voters and state institutions, but under these conditions, we consider it impossible to participate in a festival in honor of the inauguration."
Mayor of Tbilisi, Gigi Ugulava also said that he will not participate in the inauguration of the new president.
"The Mayor's Office is involved in the preparatory work for the inauguration," he said. "I was the first who congratulated Mr. Giorgi, because I respect the choice of our citizens. But I'm not going to attend the inauguration. It will be difficult to take part in the festivities of the man, who can not distinguish who is friend and who is enemy of our country."
The position of Mikheil Saakashvili, who has already received an invitation, is yet unknown.
Giorgi Margvelashvili's inauguration will be held on November 17. The October 27 vote was the sixth presidential election after Georgia gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili could not run for re-election because of the two-term limit in the Constitution.
Ruling Georgian Dream coalition's candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili scored 1,012,569 votes or 62.12 percent of the total voter turnout, while candidate for the United National Movement, Davit Bakradze, received 354,206 votes or 21.73 percent.