Presidential candidate of Georgian Dream refuses to run in second round of elections
TBILISI. Oct 17 (Interfax) - Presidential candidate of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Giorgi Margvelashvili, said that he supported the opinion of Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and that he would not run if a second round of elections was held.
Margvelashvili told reporters on Thursday that the second round of elections was out of the question because he was certain of his victory and that if the second round was held, he would not run in it.
"Georgian society will vote for the path which was determined last year. They will vote for the Georgian Dream, the coalition of Bidzina Ivanishvili and for me, as a coalition candidate. The election will be completed in the first round, there will be no second round because according to the existing statistics this is impossible. But if the impossible happens then I do not see any point in participating in the second round," he said.
Ivanishvili said earlier on Thursday at a meeting with Georgian mass media managers that we would advise Margvelashvili against participation in the second round if it was held.
Meanwhile, presidential candidate, leader of the Democratic Movement party Nino Burdzhanadze said she was certain that the second round was possible. Burdzhanadze told reporters on Thursday that she was sure that she and Margvelashvili would make it to the second round and "if the authorities do not resort to total falsification," she would win.