PM Bidzina Ivanishvili said he remains confident that GD’s presidential candidate, Giorgi Margvelashvili, will win election in the first round without a run-off, but told supporters not to think that job is done and called on them to go to polling stations on October 27.

“I request you very much to go to elections. Do not think that it’s all over and it’s already decided. Yes, Giorgi has a huge lead, according to all the polls,” Ivanishvili said, apparently also referring to early August poll commissioned by Margvelashvili’s campaign according to which the former education minister had 53% support. “I am absolutely sure that he will win in the first round, but he will only win with your votes and with your support. So I ask you not to be lazy and to go to polling stations and support the dignified candidate.”

The PM made the remarks while speaking at Margvelashvili’s campaign rally in Ivanishvili’s native Sachkhere on August 31. In his speech, the PM also said that in the first year of his government in office, it “has delivered with almost majority of our promises” and listed among them ongoing “restoration of justice”, de- politicizing the police and putting the law enforcement agencies “in the service of people”, carrying out “fundamental” constitutional changes cutting presidential powers to appoint new government without Parliament’s authorization; providing government subsidies to agriculture and introducing broad state-funded health insurance; he praised Margvelashvili for his decision while serving as education minister to allocate state funds to distribute textbooks in public schools free of charge from this year. Ivanishvili also said that the judiciary “is getting rid of and I think it has already got rid of influence and pressure from the previous government.”
 
“But for the public it is very scarce. I think we’ve done maximum of what was possible to do. We could not have done a miracle. But if we keep this pace, we will very soon turn into the European-type of the state,” Ivanishvili said.

Margvelashvili is on campaign trail since August 12, when his campaign formally kicked off from Nokalakevi. Since then PM Ivanishvili joined Margvelashvili on his campaign events twice – first in Nokalakevi and now in Sachkhere.