Sandra Roelofs put on UNM party list

In Georgia, the opposition "United National Movement" (UNM) Party has indicated Sandra Roelofs, the wife of former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, on the second place in the party list of candidates for the Parliament.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that starting from June 8, Georgia holds the pre-election campaign, and the parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 8. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), as at August 9, the number of the parties eligible for the elections reaches 36. On August 16, the CEC annulled the registration of the "Centrists" Party.

Georgian political analysts treat the candidacy of Sandra Roelofs as a "resource" which can have a positive impact on the number of votes gained by the party at the elections. Sandra Roelofs has authority over residents of the country, in particularly, in the region of Samegrelo. She has established herself as a public figure in the medical field by opening a screening centre for women.

According to political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze, the candidacy of Sandra Roelofs will not bring the UNM Party a significant advantage, since she is the wife of former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and a number of voters treat her appropriately. However, the UNM Party is characterized by the fact that it tries to gain "at least one vote", and that is why Sandra Roelofs is involved in the elections, the political analyst believes.

The political analysts believe that Sandra Roelofs will not act as an independent political figure, but only as a "decorative" one.

The involvement of Sandra Roelofs means that Mikhail Saakashvili takes indirect part in the elections, believes Tornike Sharashenidze, an expert of the "International Centre for Geopolitical Studies".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.