Press Digest 29.10.2013

Outgoing Premier and Incoming President

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Outgoing Premier and Incoming President

“What privileges will the new president enjoy? Will he be as servile and obedient and he has been before? Yesterday’s press conference - during which Giorgi Margvelashvili rather flatly corrected the foreign journalist’s remark regarding Russia’s provocative steps in terms of readjusting Georgia’s border - has clearly demonstrated that Giorgi Margvelashvili is a rather tough nut to crack. At yesterday’s briefing, this particular incident was really worth paying attention to; as Margvelashvili’s decision to expand on the issue, regarding the fact that the PM had already answered this very question, clearly showed that Georgia’s future president is not a man to trifle with. Believe it or not, despite having cast the light on much more significant issues of state importance, at the briefing, the majority of journalists still strained to learn when Margvelashvili intends to join his girlfriend in wedlock”, reports the Rezonansi gazette.

“I have deviated a bit from the right course by announcing that I would name the country’s future PM on Monday or Tuesday; the Parliament has left for Kutaisi, and it will be a bit embarrassing to elect the new premier without first agreeing on the issue with them. On top of that, I do not rule out that the Council may decline my candidature for the PM’s post; however, I have chosen a truly dignified candidate, and, accordingly, there is a minute possibility that the council will refuse to accept him. If on Friday, I manage to reach an accord with them - and I will presumably manage to do this - on Saturday, after the briefing with the majority, the Georgian people will learn the name of the new PM”, announced Ivanishvili, who also underscored that the Minister’s Cabinet is not planned to be subjected to re-branding”, writes the paper.

“According to the newly-introduced amendments in the legislation, instead of the president, the Governors of regions will be appointed by the government. The Law on “Governmental Department Authority” has also been amended; as per the newly-established changes, the government will hold the region governors accountable for their taken steps; as for Giorgi Margvelashvili, he has already adopted his candidature for the Security Council Secretary post”, reports the newspaper.

“Ivanishvili has also given his word of honor that before leaving the political arena, he will introduce his team members to his candidature for Tbilisi Mayor; “while I am in politics, I have the right to express my opinion regarding this or that particular issue; I will not impose my own opinion on people after I leave the political arena”, Ivansihvili pointed out. The premier also expressed his readiness to give the consultations to media outlet representatives and, in this way, to help them tackle their problems”, writes the paper.

” The premier also did not hide his surprise about the fact that the “Nationals” managed to achieve more than 21 percent in the elections; “I warned you, if you had refused to come to the elections, the “National Movement” advocates would have accomplished their goal. And truly, at first glance, the fact that people have managed to let the “Nationals” egregious mistakes fall into oblivion in a such short time span, seems a bit surprising; however, if taking account of the fact that some of the voters were their advocates, some simply somehow benefited from their choice and some have reached a deal with them, this figure, 21 percent, will not seem as big as - at first glance. However, as long as a certain amount of our compatriots have supported the ‘Nationals”, we do not have the right to be malevolent towards them”, declared Ivansihvili who added that the fact that the “National Movement” is their key opposing force definitely will not make the country veer of the right political course”, reports the author of the article.

” As Margvelashvili stated, political persecution will not be unleashed in Georgia. “As for the legal prosecution, this issue is beyond my scope of competence. If we want to build a just state, we must comply with definite universally-recognized rules”, stated Georgia’s future president. Giorgi Margvelashvili also set the issue of Georgia’s western proclivity at large and underscored the necessity of retaining this tendency’, concludes the author of the article.