TBILISI, May 11 (RIA Novosti) - Georgia’s ruling coalition on Saturday nominated Education and Science Minister Giorgi Margvelashvili as its candidate to run in this year’s presidential elections.
The announcement was made by Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who had denied presidential ambitions last December. The premier said he would stay at the post where the Georgian people need him.
Georgia is to elect its new president in October 2013. So far, Shalva Natelashvili of the Labor Party remained the only registered candidate.
Presidential powers have been seriously limited as a result of a constitutional reform to transform Georgia from a presidential republic into a parliamentary one.
Under amendments to the Georgian constitution due to come into force after the 2013 presidential elections, the government will be vested with supreme executive powers and its head will in effect become the leader of the state.
The president will lose the power to cancel governmental decrees and put forward legal initiatives.
