Georgian Azerbaijanis return Saakashvili

In Azerbaijan, we watched with interest the presidential elections in Georgia, at which the President was last elected by direct vote. According to the constitution of this country, the post of the fifth president is representative, and the real power belongs to the Prime Minister Mamuk Bakhtadze. But in 2020 there will be regular parliamentary elections, the results of which will determine the executive branch. Consequently, the 2018 elections show a possible domestic political trend two years later.

Of particular interest to Azerbaijan is the factor of the decisive role of the voices of Georgian citizens of Azerbaijani nationality, which can play a decisive role in the return of Mikhail Saakashvili"s party to power and, ultimately, to return him. The factor of Azerbaijanis is closely monitored, of course, also in Tbilisi. Azerbaijani investments make a significant contribution to the economy of Georgia.

The results of the elections on Sunday showed that mainly the citizens of the country chose between two political forces: the ruling "Georgian Dream", which supported the former foreign minister Salome Zurabishvili, and the opposition "National Movement", who nominated Grigol Vashadze. During the presidency of Saakashvili, he served as Minister of Culture and Sports, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The ballet dancer Ananiashvili"s wife, Vashadze, was the godmother of the president"s son, Nikoloz Saakashvili.

After a 100% vote count, independent candidate Salome Zurabishvili gained 38.66%;

Grigol Vashadze (from Saakashvili"s party) - 37.7%;

David Bakradze (European Georgia Party), - 10.97%;

Four other candidates together scored 13.6%.

The difference between the percentages of the leading candidates is less than 1%, or 15 thousand votes. Vashadze won in the major cities of Kutaisi, Rustavi, Batumi, Poti, Zugdidi, in five districts of Tbilisi. Since not a single candidate won more than half of all the votes, there will be a second round of elections in Georgia, and the elections will be held on December 2. If in the second round Vashadze can win over the votes cast in the first round for other candidates, he will win. Vashadze was even more successful if he conducted an effective campaign in the Azerbaijani-populated areas of the country, since the votes of Georgian Azerbaijanis were distributed as follows:

In Gardabani: for opposition (Vashadze) - 60%, for power (Zourabishvili) - 40%;

Marneuli: respectively 52% and 48%;

Dmanisi: 52% and 48%;

Bolnisi: 59% and 41%.

It turns out that Vashadze"s success was ensured by his opponent, Zurabishvili, by issuing an anti-Turkish statement at the pre-election meeting with the Armenians of Georgia. Visiting the Armenian-populated Ninotsminda region, she recalled the amendment to the Law on Citizenship, adopted by her efforts, according to which former Georgian citizens from August 15, 2018 to December 31, 2020 can apply to the Agency for Development of State Services with a request to restore Georgian citizenship. Georgian citizens will no longer automatically be deprived of their citizenship due to the passport of another state, while many Armenians in Samtskhe-Javakheti region have 2-3 citizenship each (Georgia, Armenia, Russia). Previously, such residents of the country lost their Georgian citizenship. Zurabishvili said that "before that ... one president (Mikhail Saakashvili) distributed citizenship to many Turks, today his representative (Grigol Vashadze) is one of my opponents, but he did not give you citizenship."

By a careless statement, Zurabishvili attributed herself to the opponents of Azerbaijanis, calling her opponent a supporter of Turkey. Azerbaijanis responded to Salome, voting in the majority for Saakashvili"s representative - Grigol Vashadze. An Armenian user in the FB said sadly about the voting of the Armenians in Georgia: "this happens when you sleep."

If Vashadze holds additional meetings with the Azerbaijanis, bringing to the notice of those who are not aware of the anti-Turkish agitation of the enemy, then in the second round the Azerbaijani-populated areas will give a much greater result to Saakashvili"s supporter than in the first.

In fact, Azerbaijanis in Georgia, along with other forces, are returning to power in Georgia, former President Mikhail Saakashvili, known for his dislike for Putin"s Russia. If things continue to go on like this, then his political resurrection can happen soon - after 2 years in parliamentary elections.