Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively to VK
President Mikheil Saakashvili has set parliamentary elections for October 1. Georgian experts and observers believes that they are the most important in the recent decade, as after the presidential elections of 2013 the new constitution comes into force and the country will turn into the parliamentary republic and the parliament elected on October 1 will compose the new government. The main rival of the ruling party United National Movement (UNM) is Georgian Dream of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. The election race will be tough, as the winner will take the whole power over Georgia.
The press secretary of President, Manana Mandzhgaladze, told journalists that the elections are dated on October 1. “President of Georgia has many times emphasized readiness of the government to conduct free and fair parliamentary elections and make the election campaign open and transparent. Today we are sure that both the elections and the campaign will be perfect,” Manzhgaladze said.
One of the UNM leaders David Darchiashvili told VK why the opposition would have no grounds for justification of their defeat by falsification of the elections this time: “The current election code was developed by direct participation of the opposition. Moreover, we will do our best to inform the electorate: let’s remember the principle must-carry which has got legal support due to our initiative.”
The essence of the legal innovation on mass media was explained to VK by the member of the national committee on communications, Irakly Moseshvili: “A new legal norm makes operators of cable TV networks include all TV companies broadcasting information programs and political talk-shows into their “packages.” It means about 700-750 thousand families will be users of these TV companies.” Thus, the majority of 3 544 770 voters will have an access to alternative information. The major operators of cable networks have begun to broadcast programs of the opposition channel Maestro and The Ninth Channel which belongs to Ivanishvili’s wife Yekaterina Khvedelidze.
However, the opposition doubts in sincerity of the authorities, first of all because of the elections date – October 1. According to the constitution, the next elections of president and parliament should take place in October. But President decided to hold them on the first day of the month, even though October 1st is Monday. “Saakashvili could date the elections on any day of October, but he chose the first, because in this period people come back to cities from vacations. They have no time to go in for policy, because they have other problems – children go to school and so on,” the member of the political council of the opposition coalition Georgian Dream, Irakly Sesiashvili, told VK – “Moreover, the 1st of October is a week-day. Probably President will make it a day off, but thousands of the opposition supporters live abroad, and nobody will make the day off for them, i.e. they couldn’t participate in the elections and vote for the opposition.”
