GD names its majoritarian candidates for by-elections in Rustavi, Batumi
"It is important for us to win both elections," GD chair told the press.
Video grab from TV Imedi
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The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has named its majoritarian candidates for by-elections scheduled for April 2 in Georgian cities of Rustavi and Batumi earlier today.
GD Head Irakli Kobakhidze introduced Irakli Shatakishvili and Ramaz Jincharadze as Rustavi and Batumi majoritarian candidates, respectively.
As a matter of principle, it is important for us to win both elections, Kobakhidze told the press.
The by-elections in Batumi will be held as the city council member from the opposition United National Movement (UNM) 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 (GD) party was voted as the Rustavi Mayor in local self-government elections in October last year.
Parliamentary and city council by-elections will be held in the Georgian seaside town of Batumi and the south-eastern city of Rustavi in April, the country's Central Election Commission (CEC) announced on Tuesday.
Opposition United National Movement (UNM) has claimed that the ruling Georgian Dream party stands behind the death of Batumi City Council member Nugzar Putkaradze. Denying the accusations, Head of Adjara government Tornike Rizhvadze is expecting for the apologies if his father is not in the recordings.
The opposition has won the majority in city assemblies in seven out of 64 municipalities – Batumi, Zugdidi, Martvili, Chkhorotsku, Tsalenjikha, Rustavi and Senaki. 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.’
The official results of the Central Election Commission (CEC) for the 2021 municipal election run-offs in Georgia show that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party mayoral candidates have won in 19 municipalities, while the opposition United National Movement (UNM) contender has won in just one. Incumbent Tbilisi mayor and candidate Kakha Kaladze from the GD took 55.6% of the votes over the UNM’s Nika Melia, with 100% of the votes counted.
Ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze has responded to a session involving the municipal assembly in the western Georgian town of Senaki on Wednesday, where members from opposition parties gave a go-ahead to the meeting without having a quorum of required members, by calling it “unbelievable”.
The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party will support Badri Japaridze, the Lelo for Georgia party candidate, for the upcoming by-elections in the city of Rustavi, after the politician saw his MP status terminated by the Georgian parliament on Tuesday, UNM leader Khatia Dekanoidze announced on Wednesday.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has filed a lawsuit against a decision made by the municipal assembly in the western Georgian city of Senaki earlier this month, alleging illegitimacy of the selection of an opposition member by the local council due to absence of quorum.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia published the preliminary results of the by-elections held on Saturday 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 preliminary results show that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party candidates have won the by-elections both in Rustavi and Batumi.