20 Parties, 4 Blocs Registered to Run in Local Elections
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has registered a total of 20 political parties and 4 election blocs, which will run in the June 15 local elections.
Below is the list of four election blocs – each of them represents a coalition of parties running in the elections on joint ticket:
- Georgian Dream ruling coalition – unites six parties: Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia; Conservative Party; Industrialists; Republican Party; Free Democrats and National Forum.
- United National Movement (UNM) – the largest opposition party has formally established a bloc with Christian-Conservative Party, which is now actually a defunct political party, established two decades ago by Shota Malashkhia, who is a long-time UNM lawmaker; depending on election results, creating a bloc may give some privileges to the UNM, like additional seat in CEC.
- Non-Parliamentary Opposition – a bloc established by the New Rights and Free Georgia parties;
- Self-Governance for the People – a bloc established by For Fair Georgia and European Democrats parties.
Below is the list of political parties registered by the CEC for the upcoming local elections:
- Nino Burjanadze-United Opposition – it is actually a coalition of Burjanadze’s Democratic Movement-United Georgia (DMUG) and Christian-Democratic Movement (CDM), which opted not to register as an election bloc;
- Labor Party, which is led by Shalva Natelashvili
- The Green Party of Georgia – it is led by an independent MP Giorgi Gachechiladze, who was GD parliamentary majority member before quitting it in February, 2014;
- In the Name of the Lord-the Lord is Our Truth;
- Political Movement of [law enforcement and armed forces] Veterans and Patriots of Georgia;
- Georgian Party – it is led by ex-defense minister Irakli Okruashvili, who wanted to run for a mayor of town of Gori, but was denied due to failure to meet residency requirement;
- Alliance of Patriots of Georgia;
- National Democratic Party (NDP);
- Georgia’s Way – the party founded by ex-foreign minister Salome Zourabichvili;
- Our Georgia (National Democratic Movement);
- Future Georgia;
- Christian Democratic Party (Christian Democrats);
- Merab Kostava Society
- People’s Movement;
- Reformers;
- People’s Party;
- Council of Georgian Workers;
- Party of People
- Assembly of Unity
- Freedom–Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s Way
Like the Parliament, local councils (Sakrebulos) are also elected through mixed system – part of Sakrebulo members are elected in majoritarian, single-mandate constituencies through first-past-the-post, winner-take-all rule, and another part through party-list, proportional contest.
A political party or a bloc has to garner at least 4% of votes in respective municipality in order to endorse members in Sakrebulo through party-list, proportional contest.