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Saakashvili won’t step down as president until October 2013

Saakashvili is not planning to step down earlier than October 2013, according to presidential secretary Manana Mandzhgaladze

TBILISI, November 2 (Itar-Tass) — President Mikhail Saakashvili is not planning to step down earlier than October 2013, according to presidential secretary Manana Mandzhgaladze.

“According to the country’s constitution, a presidential term expires after a new head of state has been elected. The next presidential elections will be held in October 2013,” Manana Mandzhgaladze said.

“This is the same constitution and the same terms for which a new parliament was elected and a new parliamentary majority was created. No questions about the constitutional terms were raised at that time,” she said.

This comment came as Saakashvili’s first reaction to the reminders of recent days that his presidential term expires on January 20 next year (he took office on January 20, 2008). Some Georgian politicians are ready to seek his resignation in January 2013. They plan to gather 200,000 signatures from Georgian citizens required for amending the country’s Constitution.