By-elections held in Black Sea city Batumi, eastern city of Rustavi

By-elections are being held in the Georgian cities of Batumi and Rustavi on April 2, with voters set to elect a majoritarian member of the Parliament in Rustavi outside capital Tbilisi, and a majoritarian member of the City Council in the Black Sea city of Batumi.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia said a total of 135 polling stations were prepared to conduct the by-elections, with 121 stations set up in Rustavi and Gardabani (three precincts created in penitentiary institutions and one so-called Covid election precinct) and 14 in Batumi.

278 representatives of election subjects, 1590 observers from 49 local observer organisations, and 22 international observers from four international observer organisations are registered to observe the elections. The election process will be covered by 679 representatives of 16 media organisations,” the Commission said.

The by-elections in Batumi are being held as the city council member from the opposition United National Movement party, Nugzar Putkaradze, died in November last year, while in Rustavi the vote has been prompted by a vacant seat after former majoritarian MP Nino Latsabidze from the ruling Georgian Dream party was elected the Rustavi Mayor in local self-government elections held in October 2021.