MPs Discuss New Rule for Electing Tbilisi Mayor, City Council

Discussions of the government-backed proposal over the rule for electing the Tbilisi City Council and Mayor, which is being opposed by the opposition parliamentarians, were launched at a Parliamentary session on June 23.

The new draft foresees a shift from the proportional, party-list based elections for the council to a first-past-the-post “winner takes all” system.  Instead of being appointed by the President, the Mayor would be elected by the City Council.

According to the government-backed proposal, each political party can nominate two or three candidates for City Council membership in each of the constituencies. There are a total of ten constituencies in the capital. In the largest constituencies ? Saburtalo, Nadzaladevi, Gldani, Samgori and Isani ? the parties can nominate three candidates in each, while in each of the remaining five, relatively small constituencies, each party can nominate only two candidates. The party which garners the most votes in each of the constituencies will gain a seat in the City Council. 25 seats in the Council will be occupied through this system.

The remaining 12 seats will be occupied by those parties which garner at least 4% of votes in all ten constituencies.

The elected, 37-member City Council will then elect the capital city?s Mayor from among its members.

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