Interfax: Saakashvili says it’s time for Georgian people to take break from him

TBILISI. Oct 29 (Interfax) – Outgoing Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, whose term of office expires in November, made a farewell address to the nation from the Presidential Palace on Monday night.

“My term of office is coming to an end and this is my last address delivered from the Presidential Palace. I would like to thank you for twice giving me the right to serve my country; there is no bigger honor than to serve one’s country and one’s people,” Saakashvili said.

“I offered you a trip into the future ten years ago but I did not promise we would wade through it. It has been a fascinating journey and the future has come. It belongs to you,” the outgoing president said.

Now the people of Georgia take the responsibility for this journey that never ends, he said. “The steps we have taken along this path are so important that there is no way back. You have to travel further into the future and I will always be with you on this amazing journey of national development,” Saakashvili said.

He said he did not need rest but “it is time for you (the people of Georgia) to take a break from me.”

“I am not tired and will not be; my work and struggle will continue no matter where I am. Do not forget that we, the people, will have no time to rest in fostering our country and fighting for freedom and we will not have (time to rest) in the future,” the president said.

He said that he received and continues to receive numerous letters of gratitude on Facebook and other social media. “Time has come for me to thank you once again, for one last time,” Saakashvili said.

Giorgi Margvelashvili, candidate of the ruling coalition Georgian Dream, won a convincing victory in the Georgian presidential election last Sunday.

Saakashvili could not run for re-election as he had already been in office twice. His party, United National Movement, nominated David Bakradze, who ranked second in the presidential race.

[featured image is file photo]