EDUARD SHEVARDNADZE NOT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENCY
ARMENPRESS
Nov 15, 2007
TBILISI, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS: Ex-presidnet of Georgia, Eduard
Shevardnadze, said he has no intention to contest the extraordinary
presidential election, set for January 5, 2008.
"I will participate in the forthcoming election as an ordinary citizen
of Georgia," he was quoted by Azerbaijani Trend news agency as saying.
Shevardnadze also said the January 5 election will be held in a
proper manner because they will be watched by numerous foreign and
local observers making vote-rigging almost impossible.
Meantime U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and
Eurasia, Mathew Bryza, was quoted by Georgian news agencies as saying
that Georgia would have the chance to advance its plans to join NATO
only if it holds clean and democratic presidential election.
"I am a friend of Georgia and it is very hard for me to speak about the
damage that the country’s image has sustained. But I am seeing that
the situation is improving and though I would not like to exaggerate
to say that it is cloudless," he said during a televised interview
Wednesday evening in Tbilisi.