The News in Brief
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Opposition CEC Members Meet Georgian President, Urge Election Nullification
Opposition members of Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) met with President Salome Zourabichvili at the Orbeliani Palace to discuss alleged systemic electoral issues. Giorgi Sioridze, a representative from Strong Georgia, briefed the media afterward, emphasizing the need for Zourabichvili to be fully informed about what he described as a coordinated effort to compromise the electoral process.
According to Sioridze, opposition representatives who observed the election's administration shared their insights with the President, arguing that recent claims of minimal violations misrepresent the scale of the issue. He criticized the Georgian Dream for framing the matter as isolated incidents rather than a pattern of manipulation. "We are not dealing with individual violations but with a systematic capture of the Georgian voters' will," Sioridze stated, adding that there is now a legal basis to invalidate the October 26 elections.
Ana Kobakhidze, representing the United National Movement, highlighted that the President was interested in the details surrounding the pre-election period, election day, and subsequent events. Kobakhidze explained that opposition CEC members did not participate in administrative tasks related to the election's organization, which, according to her, gave them a unique perspective on potential procedural risks.
Kobakhidze affirmed plans for continued collaboration with the President, noting that the opposition has scheduled additional meetings to further explore election concerns.
Georgia's Foreign Trade Grows by 5.5% in 2024, Driven by Rising Exports
Georgia's external merchandise trade rose by 5.5% in the first ten months of 2024, according to data released by the National Statistics Service of Georgia (Geostat) on November 11. The total trade turnover, excluding undeclared trade, reached USD 19.02 billion, reflecting steady growth amid global economic uncertainties.
The report highlights a 7.4% increase in exports, which reached USD 5.47 billion, while imports rose by 4.8%, totaling USD 13.55 billion. Despite these gains, the trade deficit stands at USD 8.09 billion, representing 42.5% of Georgia's total trade turnover.
Opposition CEC Members Meet Georgian President, Urge Election Nullification
According to Sioridze, opposition representatives who observed the election's administration shared their insights with the President, arguing that recent claims of minimal violations misrepresent the scale of the issue. He criticized the Georgian Dream for framing the matter as isolated incidents rather than a pattern of manipulation. "We are not dealing with individual violations but with a systematic capture of the Georgian voters' will," Sioridze stated, adding that there is now a legal basis to invalidate the October 26 elections.
Ana Kobakhidze, representing the United National Movement, highlighted that the President was interested in the details surrounding the pre-election period, election day, and subsequent events. Kobakhidze explained that opposition CEC members did not participate in administrative tasks related to the election's organization, which, according to her, gave them a unique perspective on potential procedural risks.
Kobakhidze affirmed plans for continued collaboration with the President, noting that the opposition has scheduled additional meetings to further explore election concerns.
Georgia's Foreign Trade Grows by 5.5% in 2024, Driven by Rising Exports
The report highlights a 7.4% increase in exports, which reached USD 5.47 billion, while imports rose by 4.8%, totaling USD 13.55 billion. Despite these gains, the trade deficit stands at USD 8.09 billion, representing 42.5% of Georgia's total trade turnover.