Opposition Leaders Cast Ballot in Presidential Runoff

Today, Georgian citizens are electing their fifth president for a six-year term, replacing incumbent President Giorgi Margvelashvili, who has been in office since October, 2013.

The ruling party-backed candidate Salome Zurabishvili and UNM-led coalition’s Grigol Vashadze – who finished with 38.64% and 37.74% in the first round – contest the runoff.

Opposition leaders, including Davit Bakradze of the European Georgia, who has endorsed Vashadze’s candidacy, have already cast ballot at their respective polling stations in Tbilisi.

Below are excerpts from their post-vote remarks.

Davit Bakradze, European Georgia: I voted, first of all, for changes, because our society clearly demonstrated in the first round that the county needs changes, people need changes. The society does not want to live the same way, when there are a lot of problems around and there is no one who will solve these problems. The major takeaway from the first round was that our society expects changes, progress and better life. Our objective was to help bring these public sentiments to the end and this was the very reason why I voted for changes, progress and better future for our people … The best solution against election fraud is high voter turnout. I hope that many people will come and make their choice for the future of our country.

Nika Melia, United National Movement/United Opposition: The country should not have a commander-in-chief, who believes her country started a war with its enemy. Therefore, these elections are very important in terms of our dignity, in terms of our future … These elections are not simply elections. It is a referendum. For me, it is not an election where we simply elect any candidate; we have a choice between the Russian Federation and its subordinate candidate or a president elected by the people.

Giga Bokeria, European Georgia: Today is a very important day. This day does not decide who will become the country’s president only, though this is an important issue. Today, we have to end one-party and single-handed oligarchic rule in the country. We should not allow the person, whose opinions endanger our country’s security and future, to become a president. We should not allow one man, oligarch Ivanishvili and his team telling us cynically and brazenly that everything will be done exactly as they want, against the will of the people. This is important for our future. This is the beginning, an important beginning, and I would like to call on everyone to come to elections.

Giorgi Vashadze, New Georgia/United Opposition: I think Georgia should elect an absolutely new future. We should restart our development. The government should care for the people instead of what is happening now in the country. What we saw between the two rounds, all election violations, will probably be included in the world textbooks on elections. Still, we managed to reach the second round in a peaceful and calm manner. I call on voters to come to polling stations and cast ballots, because your ballot papers will decide what kind of Georgia we will live in. We should all remember this and I hope we many voters will come to polling stations and take part in elections.

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