2020-09-27
Our main goal is for the elections to be held in a calm, peaceful, democratic, open, and transparent environment, and it will be so, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated in response to a question by reporters at the Heroes' Square.
According to the head of the government, the elections are being held in accordance with completely new, much more democratic principles.
"Assessing the chances of the opposition is not my job at all. The elections are being held in accordance with completely new, much more democratic principles.
Therefore, our main goal is for the elections to be held in a calm, peaceful, democratic, open, and transparent environment, and it will be so," the Prime Minister stated.
Giorgi Gakharia also answered a question about the national currency exchange rate, noting that today the Government of Georgia and the National Bank have more than sufficient resources to begin rapid economic recovery, which will have a direct impact on the GEL exchange rate.
"Everyone understands very well and, first of all, I understand very well that the GEL exchange rate is not just an economic factor - the GEL exchange rate is also a social factor in the country. We understand this very well and we are conscious of this fact. Of course, today, the Georgian lari is excessively depreciated because macroeconomic indicators for the current mark of the exchange rate do not exist, and everyone must understand this. Despite the global crisis, Georgia is more or less within normal parameters in macroeconomic terms. Many things depend on emotions and expectations. It is clear that we have a global pandemic, it is clear that we have an increase in the number of persons infected [with the coronavirus], it is clear that we are waiting for the elections; correspondingly, we must all take this into account. We must not forget the summer, when initially there was a sharp depreciation of the GEL exchange rate during the first wave, which then returned to normal. I would like to assure you that the Government of Georgia and the National Bank have more than sufficient resources to begin rapid economic recovery, which will have a quick and direct impact on the GEL exchange rate," the head of the government noted.
The Prime Minister also answered a question regarding the situation in quarantine zones.
"We are in full control of the situation in quarantine zones. There may be some exceptions but the response is immediate and quick, so there can be no major deviations," Giorgi Gakharia noted.
The head of the government spoke about Sachkhere, noting that Sachkhere has some advantages compared to other regions of Georgia.
"Sachkhere has some advantages compared to other regions of Georgia, and this advantage is manifested in Sachkhere's healthcare system, education system infrastructure, and many other things. Sachkhere can, of course, serve as an example for some of regions that unfortunately remain very weak in economic terms," the Prime Minister noted.
Giorgi Gakharia also answered the reporters' question concerning what is being done to prevent the pandemic from hindering the elections.
"The pandemic cannot hinder the elections. We have always said that there would be a second wave. This is not something new. We have always said that there would be a second wave, and that we have to follow basic rules. Today, no one in the developed world has found a better way to prevent the spread of the virus than the use of face masks, social distancing, and the observance of basic rules of hygiene. Therefore, we have to follow these rules and, despite the fact that this was to be expected and that we knew that we would have an increase in the number of infections (which we are witnessing at the moment), we must get used to coexisting with the virus, which is what we planned and have always maintained. Stopping the infection is simple; taking the same strict measures, declaring a state of emergency is also simple but this is not what we want to do. We want the education process to continue, the economy to work, and the political process to continue, which is why we must follow basic rules. This is not difficult. We must wear face masks, maintain distance, and observe the basic rules of hygiene. We must keep one more thing in mind: Unfortunately, we have a quite large number of people with chronic diseases in the country. This is something to keep in mind. The social structure of our families is such that several generations live together and, first of all, we must take care of high-risk social groups - the elderly and people with chronic diseases - and pay special attention to them. Moreover, the recommendation for elderly citizens to stay at home is probably appropriate, especially in Adjara. This is a highly appropriate recommendation," the head of the government noted.
The Prime Minister spoke about the detention of Zaza Gakheladze by the occupation regime, stating that the authorities have involved international partners and made use of all the mechanisms available to the government today.
"The authorities are extremely active in all directions. We have involved our international partners and [are making use of] all the mechanisms that are available to the government today. We will gradually achieve our goals with regard to every individual citizen," Giorgi Gakharia stated.
The head of the government also commented on the resumption of the education process. He noted that further measures against the spread of the virus will be targeted and local, adding that systemic restrictions are not planned at this stage.
"The education process will be resumed precisely in the manner that we announced. Any further measures or actions against the spread of the virus will be targeted and local. Systemic restrictions are not planned at this stage. I repeat: we can do this very easily but this will have serious social and economic consequences. Therefore, in order for the spread of the virus to be relatively low under normal living conditions, we must wear face masks, maintain distance, and simply wash our hands more often," Giorgi Gakharia stated.
Press Service of the Government Administration