Constitutional Court Rules Election of Tbilisi, Poti Mayors

The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of an appeal presented by a group of Georgian citizens and declared that the current procedure of appointing the Mayors of Poti and the capital city Tbilisi by the President violates Constitutional principles.

?Now it is up to the legislative body to adopt a new law on electing the Tbilisi and Poti Mayors, as well as to decide whether the Mayors will be elected directly or indirectly [by elected City Councils],? Joni Khetsuriani, Chairman of the Georgian Constitutional Court told Civil Georgia.
 
Currently, only two cities – Tbilisi and Poti – have appointed Mayors. President Saakashvili reiterated on February 15 that city Mayors should be elected starting in 2006. ?Directly, or indirectly, but Mayors should be elected,? he said.

The ruling National Movement party has already prepared a draft law which envisages indirect elections of Mayor by members of elected City Council members in Tbilisi. While the draft prepared by the opposition New Rights parliamentary faction is in favor of direct elections of Mayors.