Gov’t official resigns to begin Tbilisi Mayoral election campaign

A candidate running in the Tbilisi Mayoral election has resigned from his Government role to begin his election campaign.

Georgian Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure David Narmania resigned to run as a Georgian Dream Mayoral candidate in the June 15 self-government elections.

Narmania announced his resignation at today’s Government meeting and said goodbye to the members of the Ministry Cabinet.

"It was an honour to be a part of your team. I want to specially thank you for the fruitful work and support that I felt from you, from the every single team member, throughout the past year and a half,” Narmania told his former colleagues.

"I am really proud and happy to have been part of your team, which is serving this country and continues to do its job successfully. Together we overcame the period of political cohabitation, there was much resistance and if it weren’t for our unity, we would not have got this result,” he said.

In the meeting Narmania presented the Regional Development and Infrastructure Ministry’s 2013 annual report to the Prime Minister and wished success to the Cabinet.

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili responded to Narmania’s resignation and said he was confident Narmania would win the upcoming election.

"David Narmania is a candidate without an alternative. I am deeply convinced that he will win the elections honorably.”

The PM believed Narmania would be "a caring Mayor” of Tbilisi.

"You are really greeted with many problems in Tbilisi. Many problems were left by the former Mayor Gigi Ugulava and I believe that you will deal with them honorably, as you did while working in the Ministry. I wish you success and I know that you will be an honorable and caring Mayor,” he said.

Garibashili thanked Narmania on behalf of the Government team and the whole Georgian Dream coalition for his productive work as Georgia’s Regional Development and Infrastructure Minister.

He noted that Narmania had done "a lot of good work” and was involved in implementing numerous important projects throughout Georgia, including the road rehabilitation and construction, upgrading of tunnels and bridges, construction of residential buildings for refugees and foundation work on improving the country’s water supply.

"David is an extremely honest person and a real executor and manager. [He has] a professional with high qualifications and I truly believe he will serve this position with dignity. However in the beginning we should elect this man. I want to wish him victory in the elections as well, in which I repeat, I do not have any doubts,” Garibashvili added.