New rules: Mayors must gain 40% votes

The Government plans to set a minimal threshold for electing mayors of self-governed cities in the first round of voting at 40% and at 33% for elected heads of municipalities.

Government officials believe this initiative will ensure a higher level of legitimacy.

The news, announced today, generated a controversial response from opposition party members, who said the Government was not increasing the thresholds but decreasing them, citing the draft law on local self-governance reform that was approved by Parliament during the first reading.

The draft Bill reads that the mayoral candidate has to overcome a 50% threshold to win.

Mikheil Machavariani of United National Movement said the Tbilisi Mayoral candidate from Georgian Dream Coalition could not win the election and that was why the Government had created the new tools to avoid the loss.

The draft Bill also outlined rules to elect Mayors in 12 towns and the heads of municipalities across the country. Direct election of Mayor is currently only in the capital Tbilisi.

Increasing the threshold in the next elections was first announced by the Prime Minister of Georgia on January 16. At the time he said: "We want mayors of cities to be elected with a 40% threshold and heads of municipalities by 33%.

Georgias self-government elections are set to take place this spring.