On the recordNovember 20, 2013
On October 27, I was honored to observe the recent presidential elections in the Republic of Georgia in which Giorgi Margvelashvili was elected. It was characterized by the International Republican Institute as ``calm and . . . with a substantial reduction of complaints filed with the election commission.'' The President was elected with a 62 percent vote in an election that was described also as an important milestone in Georgia's democratic development. In keeping with this promise to step down following the election, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili appointed a successor, Irakli Garibashvili, on November 2. He was most recently the Minister of Interior appointed by the Prime Minister after the Georgia Dream Coalition's victory in the 2012 parliamentary elections. Prior to his work in government, he headed Mr. Ivanishvili's charitable organization Cartu. He holds a graduate degree from the University of Paris, Sorbonne; and I was pleased to visit the country, the Republic of Georgia, and be involved in the democratic process and principles. ____________________
