Parliamentary elections as ‘test’

“The next parliamentary elections will be another test which you should pass,” Slovakian President Andrey Kiska told Georgian officials on May 30,during his first official visit to Georgia since the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

“For the Slovak people, the goal was clear - to become a member of NATO and the EU. Like all young people, we wanted to get results as quickly as possible.”

“Some of us thought that it would take 3-4 years; some thought that 4 years was too long, but the fact is that it took 12 years. We learned that it is unpopular but necessary to carry out reforms in order to elevate standards. We also learned how important it is not to give up; we learned that politicians should not make cheap populist decisions. As a result, today, our economic benefits from the EU market are the highest than ever. NATO and the European Union have brought us security and stability," said Kiska.

He also called Georgia’s enthusiasm towards Euro-Atlantic integration “impressive”.

Andrei Kiska also said that Georgia is fully ready for visa liberalisation with the EU.

"There is no reason for hesitation to make a final decision. Georgia is fully ready.

“But do not be fall in premature satisfaction. You are at the beginning of a very long road which will not be easy. You will have to prove many things and the next upcoming parliamentary elections will be a further test which you have to pass,” said the President of Slovakia.

The upcoming parliamentary race that is scheduled for October is very important due to several reasons.

The very first reason is that Georgia has carried out a range of reforms and came close to meeting Euro-Atlantic demands; the country must now be very cautious and careful not to make dramatic mistakes.

The elections are special as there is no clear dominant party and the majority of Georgians are undecided as to whom they will vote for.

In previous years, there were popular leaders people voted for; now there is no such leader, and there is a chance that different political parties will appear in parliament.

The elections will be a big challenge for the current Government on how they will manage to ensure peace and transparency during the election process.

The elections will also be a test for different political parties and the voters. It will be interesting how realistic parties’ election programmes might be.

The elections will also reveal whether the voters have changed how they decide which party to vote for; generally, most Georgians never read election programmes and cast their votes due to populist promises.