Opposition Protests New Election Rule

Tbilisi City Court turned down an appeal made by the opposition Republican and Conservative parties on September 12 demanding the repeal of a new election rule.

The rule in question is based on a decision made by the Central Election Commission (CEC) on September 9 that allows a person to run for Tbilisi Sakrebulo membership by the party-list system without participating in the majoritarian elections in one of the capital city?s constituencies. 

Incumbent Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, the ruling National Movement party’s mayoral nominee, will run for Sakrebulo membership not as a majoritarian candidate like other contenders for the Tbilisi mayoral office, but through the National Movement?s party-list.

According to the law 12 seats out of 37 in the Tbilisi Sakrebulo will be distributed among parties that garner more than 4% of votes in all ten constituencies of Tbilisi.

?We have a coward Mayor who is afraid of a direct competition with political opponents,? Koba Davitashvili, leader of the Conservative Party, said on September 12. Davitashvili is running for the Tbilisi mayoral office as a candidate registered in Tbilisi?s Gldani three-mandate constituency.

Neither Gigi Ugulava nor other officials from the ruling party have yet commented.

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