Margvelashvili’s Administration Says the President is Attacked by Ruling Team
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, February 22
(TBILISI)--The administration of the President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili says that the latter is permanently attacked by the Georgian Dream ruling party representatives, and the “attempts to discredit Margvelashvili” have become more intense in the election year.
“It is particularly interesting that attacks on the president are carried out when he holds meetings with students, non-governmental sector representatives or citizens,” Giorgi Abashishvili, the head of Margvelashvili’s administration stated.
He emphasized that the president has never been afraid of such attacks and “unlike others, Margvelashvili has never betrayed his values.”
Abashishvili says that it will be difficult for the ruling party to name the presidential candidate, as over the past four years “the team has done its utmost to affect the presidential institute.”
The Georgian Dream ruling party members believe that Margvelashvili has already “unofficially” launched his election campaign.
“Unfortunately, the president has been formed as a marginal figure and he does not respect the values people voted the Georgian Dream party for,” Davit Matikashvili, a member of the parliamentary majority, said in response to Abashashvili’s statement.
Matikashvili claims that if the president decides to take part in the race, he will face “another fiasco”.
Margvelashvili has not yet stated whether he participates in this year’s presidential election. The Georgian Dream has not named its nominee for the role so far.
Margvelashvili was elected as the president in 2013 with the name of the Georgian Dream party.
He was nominated and praised by ex-PM, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is believed to still run the country from the backstage.
However, shortly after taking the presidential post, Margvelashvili received “negative assessments” from Ivanishvili, who stated that he [Margvelashvili] “revealed different attitudes when elected.”
Many from the Georgian Dream party have been expressing discontent over Margvelashvili since Ivanishvili’s statement.
