Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, on October 1, the nation of Georgia successfully elected a new Parliament and then underwent the country's first peaceful transfer of power via an election since independence. I commend President Saakashvili on his leadership in that transition. The Georgian people are to be congratulated for a credible election. I am encouraged by Georgia's continued positive attitude toward NATO integration and its determination to be a modern democracy. However, the Georgian Dream coalition must be reminded that the most effective way for Georgia to join NATO is through continued development of democracy and the rule of law. First, there has been increasing pressure on President Saakashvili to resign prior to the constitutional end of his term in October 2013. While the new majority may see this as a logical next step to finalizing the transfer of power, attempting to coerce a sitting head of state to give up their constitutional mandate before its expiration would run contrary to the principles of democratic governance and the rule of law. Second, on November 7, the prosecutor's office arrested three members of the resigned government, charged with unspecified abuses of power. Georgia has made enormous progress in its democratic and political development over the past 2 months, progress which very few predicted would or could happen so quickly and completely. In light of that, I would encourage the new leadership of Georgia to take these concerns seriously.…”