Constitutional Court Rules to Allow Independent Candidates to Run for Mayor, Gamgebeli

Georgia’s Constitutional Court ruled on April 14 that banning independent candidates from running for mayoral office and head of municipalities (gamgebeli) is unconstitutional.

According to the existing legislation only political parties can nominate candidates for mayor and gamgebeli in local elections.

The Constitutional Court said that this clause of the election code restricts unreasonably the right to run for mayoral and gamgebeli office for independent candidates, which is in conflict with the constitutional right to participate in the elections and to hold public office.

The complaint against the disputed clause was filed by a group of six citizens, who were represented in court hearings by election observer and rights groups International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) and Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA).

Direct election of mayor was introduced in the capital city Tbilisi in 2010 and the rule expanded to eleven other cities (Kutaisi, Rustavi, Batumi, Poti, Telavi, Mtskheta, Gori, Akhaltsikhe, Ambrolauri, Ozurgeti and Zugdidi) in 2014. Heads (gamgebeli) of 59 municipalities across the country were directly elected for the first time in 2014 local elections. All mayoral offices and gamgebeli seats were won by candidates from the Georgian Dream coalition. Next local elections are scheduled for October, 2017.