UNM says ruling party will not receive more than 35% in four cities in municipal elections

The opposition United National Movement (UNM) party claims the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party will not receive more than 35% of votes in the four cities of Georgia in the upcoming municipal elections.

The UNM conducted a survey in two eastern cities in Georgia, Rustavi and Telavi, and in two west Georgian towns, Kutaisi and Batumi, between August 5-11. 

UNM member Giorgi Khvedeliani, who presented the results of the survey, said that 600 respondents participated from each city in their survey.  

Per the UNM’s survey, the results for the four cities are as distributed: 

Telavi: 

• United National Movement - 36 per cent
• Georgian Dream - 34 per cent

Rustavi:

• United National Movement - 31 per cent
• Georgian Dream - 34 per cent

Kutaisi:

• United National Movement - 32 per cent
• Georgian Dream - 34 per cent

Batumi:

• United National Movement - 20 per cent
• Georgian Dream - 33.1 per cent

The ruling party however claims that they will receive 44.7 per cent of votes in Kutaisi for the municipal elections on October 2. 

In late July, Georgian Dream withdrew from the April 19 EU-mediated agreement which resolved the political standoff in Georgia caused by parliamentary elections 2020, due to UNM’s refusal to join the agreement. 

Based on the agreement the ruling party obliged itself to hold repeat parliamentary elections if it received less than 43 per cent of the vote in municipal elections however the Georgian Dream later stated that early elections will not take place until the scheduled ones in 2024.

Several opposition political parties agreed to nominate joint candidates in 315 out of 664 majoritarian districts for city council spots.