Seventeen political parties have registered with the Central Election Commission (CEC) to run in the partially boycotted municipal elections set for October 4, less than half of the number of political forces (43) that signed up to take part in the previous 2021 local vote.
Among those registered are the ruling Georgian Dream party, the Lelo/Strong Georgia coalition, the For Georgia party led by ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, the Girchi party led by Iago Khvichia, and two main ultra-conservative forces – the nativist Alliance of Patriots of Georgia and Conservatives for Georgia, a party that emerged from the far-right and violent Alt-Info group.
Two boycotting opposition forces, the United National Movement and the Coalition for Change, were stripped of their long-held ballot numbers as a result of new registrations. The CEC assigned ballot number 4, previously held by Ahali-led Coalition for Change, to Georgians’ Unity and number 5, held by United National Movement for decades, to Our United Georgia. As a result, the (4) and (5) ballot numbers, long embraced by supporters of both forces and particularly the UNM base, have now been assigned to relatively obscure political parties.
According to the CEC, the registered parties and their leaders (with their assigned ballot numbers in front) are:
- (3) Conservatives for Georgia — Chairperson Giorgi Kardava
- (1) Mamuli, Ena, Sartsmunoeba — Chairperson Zaur Khachidze
- (14) People’s State — Chairperson Marina Kurdadze
- (9) Strong Georgia – Lelo — Chairperson Mamuka Khazaradze
- (25) Gakharia for Georgia — Chairperson Giorgi Gakharia
- (41) Georgian Dream — Chairperson Irakli Kobakhidze
- (36) Girchi — Chairperson Iago Khvichia
- (11) Sakartvelo — Chairperson Giorgi Liluashvili
- (10) Left-Wing Alliance — Chairperson Konstantine Gugushvili
- (8) Alliance of Patriots of Georgia — Chairperson Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi
- (4) Georgian’s Unity — Chairperson Gaioz Mamaladze
- (12) Greens’ Party — Secretary General Giorgi Gachechiladze
- (5) Our United Georgia — Chairperson Isaki Giorgadze
- (7) Free Georgia — Chairperson Kakha Kukava
- (6) Third Road — Chairperson Giorgi Tumanishvili (registration pending)
- (13) Party of Georgian Unity and Development — Chairperson Kamal Muradkhanov (registration pending)
- (2) Alliance of Democrats — Chairperson Giorgi Buchukuri (registration pending)
Nine opposition parties, part of them having run as part of broader electoral alliances last October, vowed to boycott the municipal vote, including:
- United National Movement (part of UNM/Unity alliance during the 2024 parliamentary vote)
- Strategy Agmashenebeli (part of UNM/Unity alliance in 2024)
- European Georgia (part of the UNM/Unity alliance in 2024)
- Freedom Square (Lelo/Strong Georgia coalition in 2024)
- Anna Dolidze’s For People (Lelo/Strong Georgia coalition in 2024)
- Ahali (part of the Coalition for Change alliance in 2024)
- Girchi – More Freedom (part of the Coalition for Change alliance in 2024)
- Droa (part of the Coalition for Change alliance in 2024)
- Federalist party (established in 2024 after leaders split from European Georgia)
With two months remaining before the scheduled vote, the political climate remains tense, marked by ongoing repression, legislative crackdowns on the opposition and freedom of expression, and repeated guilty verdicts in protest-related cases.
Eight opposition figures, including six active political leaders, are currently jailed for defying a parliamentary commission chaired by GD veteran Tea Tsulukiani. Gakharia also remains abroad as he faces two separate probes over his actions from 2019, when he served as the GD interior minister.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has endorsed incumbent Kakha Kaladze for a third term as Tbilisi mayoral candidate. Among his challengers is Zurab Makharadze, the controversial far-right leader of the Conservatives for Georgia (Alt-Info) party. Meanwhile, Lelo and Gakharia’s For Georgia are in talks over a joint candidate but have yet to announce one.
Note: the article was amended at 17:15, August 11, to reflect the data from the 2021 municipal vote.
Also Read:
- 14/07/2025 – Lelo, Gakharia’s For Georgia Agree to Cooperate for Local Elections
- 08/07/2025 – ODIHR Regrets GD Government’s ‘Stated Intention’ Not to Invite Monitoring Mission
- 05/07/2025 – Lelo/Strong Georgia to Run in October Local Elections, Three Senior Members Dissent
- 17/06/2025 – Treason or Opportunity – Opposition Squabbles over Municipal Elections
- 12/06/2025 – ODIHR: We Have Not Received Invitation to Observe Local Elections in Georgia
- 30/04/2025 – Local Elections: New Divisive Issue for Opposition
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