Ruling party Sec Gen: credibility, political support for opposition “diminished to zero”
In his remarks on the voting, Kaladze said opposition figures had decided against participating as “they knew what the result was going to be”. Photo: Tbilisi City Hall
Tweet 
Share
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday claimed the credibility and political support for the domestic opposition had been “diminished to zero”, following a round of elections and by-elections in 10 municipalities across the country.
In his remarks on the voting, Kaladze said opposition figures had decided against participating as “they knew what the result was going to be”.
It is clear why the opposition did not take part in the elections - it is because they knew what the result was going to be. They know very well what kind of attitude the public has towards them. Their credibility and political support has been diminished to zero in the country today”, the ruling party official said.
“Some particular party, of course, has its supporters, but today the most powerfully represented is Georgian Dream with its supporters. These particular by-elections are a proof of this – the public saw how much support Georgian Dream and its candidates have”, Kaladze concluded.
A total of 55,363 voters took part in the elections in all ten municipalities, with the highest turnout being recorded in Akhaltsikhe, where 47.8 percent of voters went to the polling stations, the Central Election Commission said.
By the preliminary results, the Georgian Dream party candidates have been elected in all ten municipalities, including majoritarian members of the Parliament in Poti, Senaki and Khobi, majoritarian members of city councils (Sakrebulo) in Gurjaani, Tianeti, Akhaltsikhe, Tkibuli and Kutaisi, as well as mayors of Tsageri and Terjola.
The ruling Georgian Dream party on Wednesday nominated candidates for the April 29 midterm elections for the member of the Parliament for the country’s western Poti, Senaki and Khobi constituency, and two mayors in Tsageri and Terjola municipalities.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday summarised the extraordinary elections and by-elections held in ten municipalities of Georgia and said the ruling party had improved the results of 2021 municipal elections in all electoral districts.
Extraordinary and by-elections are being held in Georgia’s ten municipalities on Saturday, with voters set to elect a majoritarian member of the Parliament in Poti, Senaki and Khobi, majoritarian members of city councils (Sakrebulo) in Gurjaani, Tianeti, Akhaltsikhe, Tkibuli and Kutaisi, as well as mayors of Tsageri and Terjola, using “large-scale” electronic voting for the first time in the country.
Speaker of the Georgian parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the introduction of an electronic voter registration and voting system starting with the 2024 parliamentary elections in the country would leave “no room for speculation”.
Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said “any individual, including any public servant” was able to attend “any protest” through their own decisions, after domestic opposition groups and non-governmental organisations alleged the Government had bussed in demonstrators to a rally in Tbilisi on Sunday organised by a domestic civil movement backing the authorities' “peaceful policy” on the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday criticised a comment by Viola von Cramon, a member of the European Parliament, on the European Union candidate status for Georgia by saying separating the country’s Government from its people was “very harmful”.