Ex-Imedi TV Journalist to Run for Majoritarian MP
Magda Anikashvili, a former Imedi TV newscaster, has been nominated by the Christian-Democratic Party as a majoritarian MP candidate in Tbilisi’s Saburtalo single-mandate constituency.
Saburtalo is shaping up to be one of the most hotly-contested constituencies in Tbilisi with six majoritarian MP candidates already declared, including Tina Khidasheli, one of the leaders of the Republic Party; Giorgi Meladze, the deputy mayor of Tbilisi nominated by the ruling party; and Revaz Shavishvili, a former head of the state audit agency, nominated by the the nine-party opposition bloc.
Other candidates include lawyer Lia Mukhashavria, nominated by an election bloc uniting the Traditionalists (leader Akaki Asatiani), Our Georgia (leader MP Gocha Jojua) and the Women’s Party (leader MP Guguli Magradze) and Tamaz Shoshiashvili, nominated by the Labor Party.
The stakes are high in Tbilisi in the upcoming elections, as there are ten single-mandate constituencies in the capital out of a total of 75 throughout the country. Although Tbilisi is seen as an opposition stronghold given its strong performance in the January 5 presidential election, the government is expected to do well because of a split in the opposition vote.
A majoritarian MP candidate winning more than others and more than only 30% of the vote will be declared the outright winner in the first round without the need for a runoff.
