Political scientist praises Georgian President’s “statesmanship”, calls upcoming elections “referendum”

Political scientist Gia Khukhashvili on Wednesday praised the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, for her recent statements, which he described as “imbued with the feeling of statesmanship.”

According to Khukhashvili, the President’s comments “signal a crucial moment” in Georgia’s political landscape, as the country heads toward what he believes is a “decisive election” on October 26.

“This is not an ordinary election; we are not only electing the government, we are choosing the long-term development vector of the country. This is a kind of referendum,” Khukhashvili claimed. He emphasized the need for political parties to coordinate on this critical issue, warning that failure to do so would leave them as mere political competitors.

His remarks come in the wake of a briefing held the previous day, where the President called for the formation of a “technical government” through consultations with political parties. However, she stressed that such a government should not consist of politicians appointed by the parties themselves.

“European experience shows that during a crisis and for a short period of time, people who are professionals and recognized by everyone, who have not participated in political battles, came to power,” Zourabichvili said during the briefing.