Georgian Dream announces 12 Mayoral candidates for municipal elections

The Georgian Dream Coalition has officially launched its election campaign by naming 12 Mayoral candidates for the June 15 self-government elections.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili presented the candidates at a gathering at the Sports Palace.

Besides former Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure David Narmania, who has been already announced as Georgian Dreams’ Tbilisi representative, Garibashvili named the candidates for Rustavi, Kutaisi, Gori, Batumi, Poti, Zugdidi, Mtskheta, Telavi, Ozurgeti, Akhaltsikhe and Ambrolauri.

In addition, the PM spoke about each of candidate.

Shota Murghulia was named as the Kutaisi candidate. Murghulia is currently the acting Mayor of the city. According to the PM, he is an economist and lawyer by profession and has vast experience in implementing infrastructural projects.

The candidate for Batumi is Giorgi Ermakov, who is also the acting Mayor of the city. Ermakov is a lawyer and was born and raised in Batumi. "He understands well what Batumi and its residents need,” Garibashvili said.

The Mayoral candidate for Telavi was announced as Platon Kalmakhelidze. Garibashvili called him "an indigenous Telavian.” Kalmakhelidze is a doctor by profession.

The PM named Rati Namgaladze as the candidate for the Ambrolauri city. He is a construction engineer and an economist by trade. "Namgaladze has multilateral experience and is a very competent person,” Garibashvili said.

As for the candidate of Rustavi, the PM presented acting Mayor Davit Jikia, who is an economist by profession. "David has also gained an education in urban planning and development, which will be beneficial for him on the Mayoral position,” he said.

For Akhaltsikhe, Garibashvili named Giorgi Kopadze as the candidate. He is a professional lawyer. "All his working experience is related to this historic part of Georgia and the city of Akhaltsikhe,” he noted.

Avtandil Nemsitsveradze was named as the candidate for Mtskheta. Garibashvili described him as an "honorable person.”

"Mr Avtandil has always been distinguished by his principal civic position. He has never given up on justice, not during the Soviet times, when he was a member of National Movement, and not in the following years,” the PM noted.

The candidate for the city of Zugdidi is Irakli Gogokhia, who is also an economist. Garibashvili said Zugdidi was Gogokhia’s hometown.

The Mayoral candidate for Gori has been named as Zurab Jirgvelishvili – a doctor of technical sciences. The PM said he had much experience working on problems within Gori and was "well aware” of the regions’ needs.

The City of Ozurgeti will be represented in the elections by Beglar Sioridze, an agriculture expert.

"[Sioridze] is a very competent person in this field. [He is] a businessman who knows the value of labour very well and has employed a number of people,” Garibashvili said.

The PM named Irakli Kakulia as the Poti candidate and noted he was born and raised in the town. Kakulia is a constructor-engineer and a lawyer by profession. "He is an excellent manager and a good person,” Garibashvili said.

Garibashvili spoke freely about Tbilisi’s candidate David Narmania and said he was confident that Narmania would gain a convincing victory.

"As you know, an honorable member of our team, Mr. David Narmania will fight for becoming the Mayor of Tbilisi. I am confident that Mr. Narmania will gain a convincing victory and our Capital will have an excellent head soon.

"David Narmania is endowed will all the features that a good mayor should have. He is a doctor of science and an excellent manager at the same time.

"He is the author of the self-government codex and one of the most successful Ministers in our government. I am sure that residents of Tbilisi will choose exactly him and entrust him with this highly esteemed mandate of a Mayor,” Garibashvili announced.

He also noted that all Georgian Dream candidates would fight honorably in the June 15 election and gain victories in the elections.

The PM wished success to them all and called on Georgian Dream supporters to vote for the party’s candidates.