Ex-PM Gakharia's party member elected Tsalenjikha Municipal Assembly head

Former Georgian prime minister Giorgi Gakharia's For Georgia party member Korneli Salia has been elected the chairman of Tsalenjikha Municipal Assembly.

By electing Salia, Tsalenjikha has become the only municipality in Georgia where both the mayor (UNM's Giorgi Kharchilava) and the head of assembly are from opposition.

• Ex-PM Gakharia's party member elected Chkhorotsku Municipal Assembly head

Salia was elected the head of assembly with a total of 14 votes by the opposition members, as the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) representatives refused to cast their ballots.

Following his election, Salia said that he is ready to cooperate both with the GD and the opposition parties.

GD Head Irakli Kobakhidze said Salia's election proved that For Georgia and the United National Movement (UNM) have formed a 'real alliance.'

The UNM and Gakharia's party are in coalition with each other, and it is no longer a secret to anyone. They are already in open talks, making corresponding decisions, Kobakhidze told the press.

• Ruling party loses majority in 7 out of 64 Georgian municipalities

In the 2021 municipal elections, the opposition won the majority in assemblies in seven out of 64 municipalities – Batumi, Zugdidi, Martvili, Chkhorotsku, Tsalenjikha, Senaki and Rustavi. 

GD garnered 47% of the vote in the proportional part of the race.