Georgian Dream nominates MP candidates
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Tuesday, July 21
The ruling party Georgian Dream nominated MP candidates at the ceremony held on 20th July in Kojori. The ruling party presented the list of majoritarian candidates – including 29 men and one woman – for newly redrawn 30 single-mandate districts for upcoming parliamentary polls due in October.
In Tbilisi’s majoritarian districts Beka Odisharia will run for Mtatsminda and Krtsanisi district; Nodar Turdzeladze for Vake; Davit Sergeenko, former healthcare minister - for Saburtalo; Kakhi Kakhishvili for Isani; Sozar Subari for Samgori; Gia Volski for Didube and Chughureti; Levan Kobiashvili for Gldani; Mikheil Kavelashvili for Nadzaladevi.
Georgian Dream started its official campaign for the 2020 parliamentary elections yesterday. Chairman of the party Bidzina Ivanishvili made his first appearance in the last 8 months at the event. He addressed the attendees, including party members, nominees and party supporters during the official opening of the ruling party’s election campaign.
“The team that is in power today is still able to take on the responsibility of running the country,” Ivanishvili announced.
The leader of the ruling party began his speech with gratitude, thanking the doctors, the government and the people, who he said during the pandemic “showed a high public culture, trusted the government and united around it.”
According to Ivanishvili, during his tenure in power, the Georgian Dream team took the country forward in many directions: “Progress is visible in practically every area. No one is under the illusion that the problems have been sorted out and no longer exist. Much remains to be done to ensure that the country continues to develop irreversibly.”
Ivanishvili underlined that Georgia has maintained peace, stability and deservedly joined the ranks of safe countries for the last 8 years. According to him, the main challenge in Georgia is still economic problems and the country's progress has no price if each family/individual is not strengthened. That’s why, he explained, education has been put number one on the priority list and a quarter of the budget will be spent on it: “Education and economic prosperity - this will be the action plan and goal of the Georgian family in the coming years. We already have solid foundations and now need strengthening.”
Bidzina Ivanishvili named education and economic prosperity as the Georgian Dream's action plan and goal for the coming years.
“It is the nature of Georgians to strive for progress and development, so we are always committed to the European and Euro-Atlantic course, which is conditioned by the unshakable will of the Georgian people and which is the foundation of our state,” said the leader of the party. He thanked the Western friends, the European Union and the strategic partner US for their support of the country.
Ivanishvili also said that we live in difficult times, in a difficult region and in a politically difficult neighborhood and we are obliged to minimize the risks and avoid all possible provocations that could harm the stability and peaceful development of the country. According to him, Georgia should use all international levers for unification: ‘We must return the Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers to us peacefully, through the establishment of trust, reconciliation and respect.’
Ivanishvili is confident that the Georgian Dream will win the parliamentary elections this fall. He emphasized that during the crisis, “people realized that the government cares for them.”
“Let us continue to build our country together, to move forward together towards Europe, to build democracy together and to walk together towards our united and strong, our dream Georgia.” Ivanishvili said.
He also compared the current and previous governments of the country to each other. According to Ivanishvili, in the extreme situation caused by the coronavirus, when human life and health were in real danger, ‘people felt the hand of the caring government and united around it’.
Ivanishvili also recalled that recently, the United National Movement and European Georgia did not take part in the vote on constitutional changes initiated to change the electoral system.
In 2020, the parliamentary elections will be held under the 120/30 electoral system, of which 30 will be elected by the majoritarian system, and 120 will be elected under the proportional system. Electoral amendments were approved by the Parliament on July 2nd.
According to Mamuka Mdinaradze, a member of the Georgian Dream party, the party will present the list a month before the elections in September, and describes the majoritarian candidates nominated on July 20th as ‘worthy people.’
Roman Gotsiridze, a member of the United National Movement, commented that the candidates nominated by the Georgian Dream were selected for their obedience to the party chairman instead of their competence.
