GDDG Names Majoritarian MP Candidates in Tbilisi

Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) ruling party nominated on Monday its majoritarian MP candidates in 21 out of 22 single-mandate constituencies of the capital Tbilisi, which is home to almost one third of Georgia’s voters.

Tbilisi’s Mtatsminda district No.1 is the only single-mandate constituency out of Georgia’s total of 73, where the ruling party has not nominated its candidate; instead GDDG endorsed in Mtatsminda Salome Zourabichvili, who was Georgia’s foreign minister in 2004-2005 and who is running in this downtown district of the capital as an independent candidate.

Her competitor from the UNM party in Mtatsminda is Nika Rurua, a former lawmaker and minister of culture in 2008-2012.

Free Democrats opposition party has nominated in the same district Koka Pruidze, who was deputy healthcare minister in 2004-2010. Most of the other parties have yet to name their candidates in this and other districts of Tbilisi.

GDDG nominated in district No.2 in Vake, which covers Chavchavadze Avenue with adjacent streets, as well as Tskneti, a former rugby player Bidzina Gegidze, who was the president of the Georgian Rugby Union in 1995-2004; he was also a member of Tbilisi City Council; Gegidze was actively involved in 2009 anti-government street protest rallies.

UNM’s Helen Khoshtaria is running as a majoritarian MP candidate in Vake. Khoshtaria, who is also number two on UNM’s party list of MP candidates, co-founded think-tank Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS) after serving as deputy state minister of European and Euro-Atlantic integration when the UNM was in government.

One of the leaders of the Free Democrats opposition party, MP Victor Dolidze, is also running in the same district of Vake, where an independent candidate, actor Zurab Sharia has also been nominated.

GDDG named a songwriter and frontman of Vakis Parki rock band, Zaza Khutsishvili, as its majoritarian MP candidate in Vake’s district No.3, which covers Bagebi, Vazha-Pshavela and Nutsubidze boroughs.

MP Petre Tsiskarishvili has been named by the UNM opposition party in the same district and Free Democrats nominated Giorgi Nutsubidze, who was an MP in 2004-2006 before he was suspended following corruption allegations.

GDDG nominated in Saburtalo district No.4, which covers Didi Digomi, Village Digomi, Vashlijvari and Vedzisi boroughs, Mamuka Mdinaradze, who was a practicing lawyer and who joined ruling party’s governing body, political council, in May, 2016.

His competitor from the UNM opposition party is Jarji Dolidze, who leaders party’s district branch in Saburtalo.

Free Democrats named as its majoritarian MP candidate in the same district one of its leaders, Alexi Petriashvili, who was the state minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration for two years before FD quit the GD coalition in November 2014.

GDDG nominated in district No.5 in Saburtalo, which covers Vazha-Pshavela and Kazbegi avenues with adjacent streets, Nino Goguadze, who was a member of the Central Election Commission for six years, and is now a member of the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo).  

Free Democrats is so far the only other party, which has a candidate in the same district – MP Davit Onoprishvili.

In Saburtalo’s district No.6, where speaker of outgoing parliament Davit Usupashvili of the Republican Party is standing for majoritarian MP, GDDG nominated Levan Gogichaishvili as its candidate. Gogichaishvili was an opposition activist involved in various movements against then president Mikheil Saakashvili before being jailed in 2009 on charges of stabbing a man, which he was denying; the case against Gogichaishvili was described by then Human Rights Commissioner of Council of Europe as “dubious”. He was released after the change of government after he was included by the Parliament in the list of “political prisoners.”

UNM’s Sevdia Ugrekhelidze, who is now a member of the Tbilisi City Council, is running in the same district, and Free Democrats nominated there MP Shalva Shavgulidze.

GDDG nominated in district No.7 in Krtsanisi Beka Odisharia, a senior executive at Jindal Petroleum, a company engaged in oil and gas exploration in Georgia; he is an honorary consul of Latvia in Georgia.

UNM’s Irakli Abesadze, who is a member of the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo), and an independent candidate Tamar Bokoveli are also standing for the majoritarian MP in the same district.

GDDG’s candidate in district No.8, which covers parts of Isani borough, is Irakli Abuseridze, who played for Georgia’s national rugby union team in 2000-2013 and who is now a member of the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo).

UNM’s Besik Kvitsiani and Free Democrats Tengiz Khechikashvili are his competitors in the district No.8.

GDDG nominated Davit Tchitchinadze, who was an MP in 1999-2004, as its candidate in district No.9 in Avlabari.

GDDG’s Beka Natsvlishvili, who is a member of the Tbilisi City Council, will run in district No.10, covering parts of Isani and Samgori districts, where his competitor from the Free Democrats party is Giorgi Gogilashvili.

The ruling party nominated Giorgi Mosidze as its candidate in Samgori’s district No.11, which covers Varketili and Patara Lilo boroughs; Mosidze is known to wider public for hosting a TV quiz show What? Where? When?, which is run by Tbilisi-based Rustavi 2 TV.

UNM’s Irakli Nadiradze, a member of the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo), is Mosidze’s competitor in the district No.11.

GDDG nominated Mariam Jashi, a former deputy healthcare minister, who now chairs state-run charity Solidarity Foundation, as its candidate in district No.12 in Samgori.

Free Democrats’ Besik Beridze and an independent candidate Irakli Shikhiashvili, who was chairman of Tbilisi City Council in 2013-2014 and head of the veterans department before March 2016, stand for majoritarian MP in the same district.

An incumbent majoritarian MP from Krtsanisi district, Shota Khabareli, who is 1980 Olympic champion in judo, will run as GDDG candidate in district No.13, covering Varketili and Didi Lilo boroughs, as well as the village of Martkopi.

Free Democrats party has nominated Nona Todua in the district No.13.

GDDG nominated chairman of its faction in the outgoing parliament, MP Gia Volski, as its candidate in Tbilisi’s district No.14 in Chugureti.

His competitor from the UNM party is an actor and orchestral conductor Irakli Cholokashvili and from the Free Democrats party – Davit Amashukeli.

GDDG’s incumbent majoritarian MP from Mtatsminda, Zaza Papuashvili, who is a theater actor, will now stand for majoritarian MP in district No.15 in Didube, covering mostly the Tsereteli avenue and adjacent streets.

Free Democrats’ MP Zurab Abashidze and an independent candidate Giorgi Rurua run in the same district.

A founder and managing director of real estate developer, Archi Group, Ilia Tsulaia, has been nominated by GDDG as its majoritarian MP candidate in Tbilisi’s district No.16 in Didube, covering Digomi and Zahesi boroughs.

UNM’s Irakli Dvali, Free Democrats’ Levan Samushia, a practicing lawyer, and an independent candidate Zurab Chikovani are also standing for majoritarian MP in the same district.

GDDG named Sophio Kiladze, who joined the ruling party in May and who served as deputy rector of the Police Academy, as its candidate in district No.17 in Nadzaladevi. Free Democrats’ Levan Melikia and an independent candidate Giorgi Aptsiauri are so far the two other candidates in the same district.

A former footballer, Mikheil Kavelashvili, has been nominated by the GDDG as a majoritarian MP candidate in district No.18 in Nadzaladevi, where his competitors so far are UNM’s Mamuka Gugeshashvili, Free Democrats’ Zezva Natsvlishvili and an independent candidate Tamar Iarajuli.

Another former footballer, picked by GDDG as its majoritarian MP candidate, is Levan Kobiashvili, who became president of the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) in October, 2015 after controversial elections. GDDG’s campaign chief and energy minister, Kakha Kaladze, is also a former footballer.

Kobiashvili is standing for a majoritarian MP in district No.21 in Gldani, where his competitors are UNM’s senior lawmaker Sergo Ratiani and Free Democrats Amiran Giguashvili.

GDDG nominated head of Nadzaladevi municipal district, Zaza Gabunia, as its majoritarian MP candidate in district No.19, which covers Temka borough. UNM’s Leri Demetrashvili and Free Democrats’ Ramaz Grigalashvili run in the same district.

GDDG named Koba Kobaladze, who is head of the veterans department, as its candidate in district No.20 in Gldani, which covers Avchala and the village of Gldani. Kobaladze, who was commander of the National Guard in early 2000s, spent eight months in pre-trial detention in 2009 as he was standing trial into so called Mukhrovani mutiny; the court found him not guilty of coup charges in January, 2010.

Free Democrats Devi Tabidze is so far the only competitor for majoritarian MP seat from Tbilisi’s district No.20.

GDDG nominated Levan Koberidze, who runs a brand and marketing consultancy firm, as its majoritarian MP candidate in Gldani’s district No.22, which covers Mukhiani borough, where his competitor from the UNM is Giorgi Baramidze, a vice speaker of the outgoing parliament, and Free Democrats Vakhtang Matchavariani.

Georgia has a mixed electoral system in which 73 lawmakers in 150-seat Parliament are elected in 73 single-member constituencies, known in Georgia as “majoritarian” mandates.

A majoritarian MP candidate has to win over 50% of votes in order to be an outright winner otherwise a second round should be held.

The rest 77 seats in the Parliament are allocated proportionally under the party-list contest among political parties, which clear 5% threshold in nationwide popular vote.