This weekend brings two potentially historic elections - a parliamentary vote in Georgia on Saturday, October 31, and a presidential election in Moldova on Sunday, November 1. Both Moldova and Georgia have experienced political volatility and unrest in recent years, and Russian influence is never far from the corridors of power in either country.
Due to changes in the Caucasus nation’s election laws, Georgia may get its first-ever coalition government since independence in 1991 -- 48 parties and two party blocs are competing in the election, and the threshold for earning a seat in parliament has dropped from 5 % to 1% of votes cast. Alternatively, the ruling Georgian Dream party may earn enough votes to be reelected to an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
In Moldova, the presidential race features eight candidates, but the frontrunners -- after “undecided” -- are the openly pro-Russian incumbent Igor Dodon and the pro-Western former Prime Minister Maia Sandu. The outcome of the vote may go a long way in determining the future direction of Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe,
RFE/RL’s highly respected operations in Georgia and Moldova -- Radio Tavisupleba and Radio Europa Libera Moldova -- are both closely monitoring the elections, and will be providing their respective audiences extensive live coverage of these pivotal elections..
RFE/RL journalists are available to provide expert analysis about the election before, during and after the polls:
In Georgia:
- Nino Gelashvili, Georgian Service senior editor (in Tbilisi; English, Georgian)
gelashvilin@rferl.org -- mob: +995.599.35.11.14
- Niko Nergadze, Georgian Service journalist (in Tbilisi; English, Georgian)
nergadzen@rferl.org -- mob: +995.593.11.66.19
- Natia Zambakhidze, Georgian Service director (in Prague; English, Georgian)
zambakhidzen@rferl.org -- phone: +420.221.122.263 -- Facebook: radiotavisupleba
In Moldova:
- Oana Serafim, Moldovan Service Director (in Prague; English, Romanian, French)
serafimo@rferl.org -- ph: +420.221.123.041 -- Facebook: europalibera.org - Vasile Botnaru, Moldovan Service Bureau Chief (in Chisinau; Romanian, Russian)
botnaruv@rferl.org -- ph: +420.221.121.207
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Find RFE/RL Experts at https://pressroom.rferl.org/p/6111.html
To schedule an interview with any of RFE/RL's experts, contact Muhammad Tahir (tahirm@rferl.org; +1.202.740.0603) in Washington DC.
Follow the latest developments on RFERL.org.