European Georgia opposition party calls for joint majoritarian candidates in regions amid UNM withdrawal
The leader of the European Georgia opposition party Gigi Ugulava says that joint opposition candidates will have higher chances to win the elections. Photo: Gigi Ugulava’s Facebook page.
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The leader of the European Georgia opposition party Gigi Ugulava has urged opposition parties to nominate joint majoritarian candidates in 22 regional constituencies for the upcoming parliamentary elections in October.
Ugulava stated that the opposition’s unanimity ‘is crucial’ to defeat the current, Georgian Dream leadership in the race, despite the recent decision of the United National Movement opposition party to present individual candidates for the majoritarian elections in the regions.
The opposition nominated joint candidates for six of eight constituencies in Tbilisi in June.
However, the opposition was unable to agree upon joint candidates for the remaining, 24 majoritarian constituencies (two in Tbilisi and 22 in the regions).
We have had long consultations with the UNM on the joint majoritarian candidates in the regions. However, despite many reasons to do so they have decided to present individual candidates. It is their right. It is not a tragedy and we [other opposition parties] should continue consultations for joint candidates,” Ugulava said.
He stated that the door remains open for the UNM, to join in the consultations if the party changes its mind about the issue of individual candidates.
The elections in the autumn will be held in a different manner, with 120 MPs elected per the party-list based electoral system and the remaining 30 per the majoritarian electoral model.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has already nominated all 30 of its majoritarian candidates for the upcoming elections, both for the eight constituencies of the capital Tbilisi and the regions.
The ruling party says that the opposition has ‘zero chances to win the elections.’
The Republican Party, which is the oldest political party in Georgia founded back in 1978, has been denied registration for the October parliamentary elections by the Central Election Commission (CEC).
The opposition says that the ruling party’s majoritarian candidates, who have been nominated earlier today, have been selected according to their ‘obedience to the founder and the head of the ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili’ and that ‘they are symbols of a bankrupt political force.’
The ruling Georgian Dream party has nominated all 30 of its majoritarian candidates for the upcoming October parliamentary elections, both for the eight constituencies of the capital Tbilisi and the regions. The elections in the autumn will be held in a different manner, with 120 MPs elected per the party-list based electoral system and the remaining 30 per the majoritarian electoral model. Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the elections will be held ‘in full line with democratic standards and Georgian Dream will celebrate a victory in a fair fight.’
Eighteen opposition parties, who participated in the election talks with the ruling Georgian Dream party mediated by the diplomatic corps, continue to demand the ruling party ‘fully abide’ by the March 8 election agreement and release co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua.
The European Georgia parliamentary opposition party has nominated 14 of 22 majoritarian candidates for the regions.
Former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who is now a citizen of Ukraine and chairs the executive committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council, says that only the United National Movement and not any other opposition parties in Georgia is capable of winning the upcoming parliamentary elections in October and that ‘the UNM is the only party definitely to win.’