Georgian president signs decrees scheduling parliamentary elections for Oct. 26

ISTANBUL

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Tuesday signed two decrees scheduling the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections for Oct. 26.

The two decrees, which set the date for elections in the Georgian parliament and the Supreme Council of Georgia’s Autonomous Republic of Adjara, were posted on the website of the Georgian president.

According to a separate statement from the presidency, Zourabichvili said in a briefing in the capital Tbilisi that they are not dealing with any “ordinary election.”

She further said that the idea of the upcoming election being a choice between war and peace is a lie, but rather it is “existential.”

“It is true that we should prepare for a choice, which will be equivalent to a referendum - Europe or Russia,” Zourabichvili said.

She called on citizens to vote and said: "No one can deceive the Georgian people, neither with pseudo pro-Europeanism nor false patriotism. On Oct. 26, the Georgian people will win."

The ruling Georgian Dream party is seeking a fourth term in office.