Infrastructure Minister to be named GD nomine for Tbilisi Mayor

The Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure Davit Narmania will be named as the mayor candidate for the capital city of Georgia by Georgian Dream (GD) coalition, the ruling party of Georgia.

According to GDs press office, the decision was made at the meeting of political council at GDs office on Saturday.

Narmania confirmed to Georgian journalist that he plans to participate in the mayoral elections. "The coalition has made the decision and I will always stay where I am needed for my country, he said.

Narmania, 34, was appointed to the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure last year when the GD coalition, who was led by the ex-prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, came in power after the parliament election on October 1, 2012.

Before being appointed to the Ministers post, he was a lecturer and invited professor at Georgian-based Universities and Institutes and Executive Director at Caucasian Institute for Economic and Social Research (CIESR), a think tank.

Narmania holds a PhD and Masters degrees in Economics from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and has extensive experience in analytical research activities.

On October 28, the after the presidential election, Ivanishvili announced at the joint news conference together with president elect Giorgi Margvelashvili that he will agree on a candidate for the mayor's office with his team members at the GDs congress on November 24.

Tomorrow it is planed that the GDs congress will also vote for the chairman of the party. As it was discussed, Irakli Garibashvili, the PM will lead the DG.

Moreover, the Minister of Energy of Georgia Kakha Kaladze is planned to be named as the General Secretary of the GD at the congress.

Incumbent Tbilisi mayor, Gigi Ugulava has served as the Mayor of Tbilisi since 2006. On the 12th October of the same year the Tbilisi City Council elected Ugulava to the position of the Mayor and in 2010 May he was once again elected directly by the Tbilisi residents.