Registered candidates received election numbers for the participation in the presidential elections

Lana Giorgidze

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia defined sequence numbers of presidential candidates for October 28, 2018, Elections of President of Georgia. 

Based on their request, 10 political unions received the same election numbers. Independent candidate Salome Zurabishvili, who is officially backed by the ruling political party Georgian Dream, will not have election number 41 during the presidential elections. Her sequence number will be 48. Davit Bakradze, the candidate of the European Georgia – Movement for Freedom will be N2; Shalva Natelashvili of the Georgian Labor Party – N10; Kakha Kukava of the Free Georgia – N21; Zurab Japaridze of Girchi – N36, Davit Usupashvili of Free Democrats – N25, and more.

According to the CEC, the candidates received the sequence numbers as a result of ballot. 

46 election subjects/initiative groups (including 26 initiative groups and 20 political parties) applied to the CEC to nominate presidential candidates. 

According to the CEC, the party “St. Ilia Martali Society” and initiative group (composed of Beka Sakhvadze, Mziuri Shonia, Nino Metreveli, Jaba Jikurashvili, and Mariam Gelashvili) were denied of participation and nomination of the candidate.

34 election subjects participated in casting lots. And the rest of the election subjects were assigned the sequence numbers based on their request (According to the election legislation, political parties who ran in 2017 Municipal Elections, may request the same sequence number for the presidential election, which they had assigned during the municipal elections. If the sequence number was assigned to an election bloc, the political party listed first among the members of the mentioned electoral bloc may use the sequence number. In case the authorized party does not use this right or refuses to maintain the sequence number, a new sequence number will be allocated to this political party through casting lots at the CEC session together with the election subjects/candidates of election subjects which do not fall under the mentioned legal regulation).

In accordance to the information published on the CEC website, there were more candidates for the presidential elections in 2013 than in 2018. In 2013, 54 persons applied for the registration while this year only 46 applicants were registered. 

In 2018, Nino Burjanadze, Irma Inashvili and Sandro Bregadze initially applied the CEC but then cancelled their candidatures. 

The political powers, who do not have presidential candidates, state that they expect fabrication of election results and limited authority of the president. 

Nino Burjanadze of the Democratic Movement – United Georgia said nowadays the president’s institute is very symbolic in the country. However, she expects that the elections will be fraud.

“I am not going to participate in the farce of Ivanishvili and engage my supporters. I will fight for real changes, for fair parliamentary elections and coming in the government to change this degrading oligarchy ruling,” Nino Burjanadze told media

 

As for the independent candidate Salome Zurabishvili, she has been officially backed by the GD since September 10. However, Gori municipality single mandate MP Ioseb Makrakhidze declared only verbal support to her and stated that he will not able to fund the election campaign of Zurabishvili. 

Girchi has innovative and confusing election campaign; he applied 24 porno-websites to place their advertisements. As the representatives of the Girchi told,     they found effective and cheap way to reach out voters because they have limited financial resources. As they said, their advertisements were viewed more than 150 000 persons, several dozens of them even subscribed their website.

If Zurab Japaridze promises more sex and freedom to the Georgian electorate, Salome Zurabishvili promised she will become the president and will necessarily “fire devils.”

The time is counting back; election campaign is in progress. Upcoming election is particularly interesting and important because in 2018 the Georgian population will elect the president of the country directly last. In accordance to the 2017 amendments in the Constitution of Georgia, after the 2018 Presidential Elections, the next presidents will be elected indirectly. At the same time, as an exception, the president who will be last directly-elected president, he/she will stay in office during 6 years instead previous 5 years.