New Rights Opposition Insists on Direct Elections of Tbilisi Mayor

At a news conference on March 29 leader of the opposition New Rights party, MP Davit Gamkrelidze, criticized Tbilisi Mayor Zurab Tchiaberashvili and demanded that direct elections take place to elect the capital city?s Mayor.

He said that Tchiaberashvili, who is appointed by President Saakashvili, ?fails to serve Tbilisites? and is the President?s ?puppet.?

?In order to eradicate this we need a directly elected Mayor,? he added.

In February, the New Rights parliamentary factions submitted draft amendments to the Law of the Capital City envisaging direct elections for the Tbilisi Mayor. However, the authorities are in favor of indirect elections. As a result, the ruling National Movement party also initiated draft amendments which envisage the inclusion of the City Council alone in electing the Mayor of Tbilisi.

According to the government-supported draft, the elected City Council of Tbilisi (Sakrebulo), which will be reduced from its current size of 49 members to 25 members, will elect the Mayor out of its members.

The New Rights claim that the authorities ?are afraid? of a directly elected Mayor, because this would result in the Tbilisi Mayor becoming ?a seriously political figure.?  Approximately one-third of all Georgian voters live in the capital city, Tbilisi.

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