Ruling party loses majority in 7 out of 64 Georgian municipalities
International observers maintain that the municipal run-offs were well-organised and competitive – noting, however, that political polarisation and negative rhetoric marred the process. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The opposition has won the majority in city assemblies in seven out of 64 municipalities – Batumi, Zugdidi, Martvili, Chkhorotsku, Tsalenjikha, Rustavi and Senaki.
Based on the final results of municipal election run-offs held on October 30, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party mayoral candidates have won in all self-governing cities and municipalities except for Tsalenjikha, where the United National Movement (UNM) party candidate, Giorgi Kharchilava, won with 51.11%, over the GD’s Goga Gulordava.
The ruling party garnered 47% of the vote in the proportional part of the race of the October 2 municipal elections.
GD head Irakli Kobakhidze stated that ‘the majority will be formed on the basis of negotiations with the members of the city councils,’ in municipalities where GD lost the majority, noting that ‘work on the issue has already started successfully.’
However, Georgian opposition leaders claim the results of the election run-offs are fabricated, announcing rallies in the cities of Batumi, Kutaisi, and Zugdidi, and a large-scale demonstration in Tbilisi on November 6.
Georgian opposition leaders addressed the supporters in front of the parliament building in central Tbilisi yesterday protesting the results of the municipal election run-offs. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
International observers maintain that the municipal run-offs were well-organised and competitive – noting, however, that political polarisation and negative rhetoric marred the process.
An interactive map put together by the Agenda.ge team shows the results of the 2021 municipal election run-offs, displaying voter turnout and other various figures, by region and city.
Overall, 1,024,406 voters out of 2,088,722 cast their ballots in Georgia’s local self-government election run-offs, amounting to 49.9% of eligible voters, the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia reports.