Georgian premier rules out running for president
TBILISI. Jan 19 (Interfax) - Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has ruled out nomination as the ruling Georgian Dream party's candidate in a presidential election due in October.
"As for my nomination as a candidate for presidential election, the media occasionally raise this topic. I want to state bluntly: I do not intend to stand for president. From my today's position, we are implementing, together with my team, a program that sets the positive dynamic of our country's development. In this situation, proposing my candidacy would be even out of place and not interesting for me, and constant speculations on this topic are causing damage to our team," Kvirikashvili told reporters on Friday.
Earlier this week the Georgian media reported that the ruling party was considering nominating Kvirikashvili as its presidential candidate.
The incumbent president, Giorgi Margvelashvili, has not ruled out seeking re-election this fall.