CEC releases early results, ruling party leading runoff

Ruling party Georgian Dream (GD) achieved success in the runoff Municipal Elections, election authorities say.

Preliminary official results from the Central Election Commission (CEC) revealed GD won the race in eight Mayoral cities and thirteen municipal districts.

In the first round of the Municipal Elections on June 15 gained enough votes to win outright in the remaining 46 municipalities and four self-governed cities.

In the initial election, GD also won majority seats in all 71 local councils (Sakrebulo) across the country.

The CEC said voter turnout was low, with 36 percent. This was down from the 43.3 percent who voted in the June 15 election.

Below are the early CEC results for Mayoral and Gamgebeli runoff elections.

Mayoral Runoff Results

In the race for Mayor of the capital city, Tbilisi, GD candidate Davit Narmania outclassed his opponent candidate from United National Movement, Nika Melia, and gained 72.47 percent of votes while Melia gained 27.53 percent of votes.

GD’s Platon Kalmakhelidze gained 70.61 percent of votes and was elected the new Mayor of Telavi, in eastern Georgia, while UNM’s Alexi Dzuliashvili received 29.39 percent of votes.

In Rustavi, GD candidate Davit Jikia will be the new head after gaining 64.77 percent of votes while UNM’s Mamuka Chikovani gained 35.23 percent.

In the old town of Mtskheta, GD candidate Avtandil Nemsitsveridze won the Mayoral race with 62.99 percent over Green Party’s candidate Davit Machkhaneli, who gained 37.01 percent.

The new Mayor of Gori, in the Shida Kartli region, is GD representative Zurab Jirkvelishvili, who gained 62.23 percent of votes. A candidate nominated by ex-Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili’s Georgian Party, Kakhaber Ergemlidze, received 37.77 percent of votes.

Among eight Mayoral runoff races, the city of Ozurgeti in western Georgia was where the GD candidate had lowest poll lead. In Ozurgeti in Guria region, GD candidate Beglar Sioridze defeated the candidate from the Alliance of Patriots by 58.9 percent of votes, while the latter received 41.1 percent of votes.

In the port town of Poti in Samegrelo, GD’s Irakli Kakulia won the

In the Black Sea resort city Batumi, where the lowest voter turnout was recorded in the runoff elections, GD representative Giorgi Ermakov led the race with 77.29 percent of votes while UNM’s Giorgi Diasamidze gained 22.71 percent.

Gamgebeli Runoff Results

As for the head of municipalities across the country, runoff results are below:

• Akhmeta – GD candidate Beka Baidauri (59.19%), Burjanadze-led United Opposition candidate Zurab Pilashvili (40.81%).
• Bagdati – GD candidate Irakli Gegeshidze (56.44%), Georgia’s Way candidate Mevlud Kiknavelidze (43.56%).
• Gori – GD candidate Davit Oniashvili (66.95%), candidate from Okruashvili’s Georgian Party Bondo Vatiashvili (33.05%).
• Kvareli – GD candidate Ilia Mzekalashvili (79.85%), UNM’s Khatia Dekanoidze (20.05%).
• Khoni – GD candidate Jemal Mebuke (58.23%), UNM candidate Zurab Jibukhaia, a former Gamgebeli of Khoni who has been in pre-trial detention since February, (41.77%).
• Kobuleti – GD candidate Sulkhan Evgenidze (76.3%), UNM candidate Revaz Kharazi (23.67%).
• Khulo – GD candidate Besik Bauchadze (57.64%), Alliance of Patriots candidate Emzar Bolkvadze (42.36%).
• Lanchkhuti – GD candidate Zaza Urushadze (56.12%), Alliance of Patriots candidate Barnab Chkonia (43.88%).
• Martvili – GD candidate Alexandre Grigalava (88.64%), Burjanadze-led United Opposition candidate Davit Injia (11.36%).
• Telavi – GD candidate Alexandre Shatirishvili (70.93%), UNM candidate Giorgi Botkoveli (29.07%).
• Tianeti – GD candidate Lela Kitesashvili (64.5%), Ilia Archemashvili of Nino Burjanadze-led United Opposition coalition (35.5%).
• Terjola – GD candidate Teimuraz Japaridze (61.44%), UNM candidate Tariel Panchulidze (38.56%).
• Tkibuli – GD candidate Robizon Gvenetadze (68.81%), Burjanadze-led United Opposition candidate Tengiz Chikaberidze (31.19%).