Girchi Nominates Its Leader Iago Khvichia as Tbilisi Mayoral Candidate
Georgia’s right-libertarian party Girchi has nominated its leader, Iago Khvichia, as a candidate for Tbilisi mayor in the October 4 local elections, which many opposition parties are boycotting in protest.
Girchi, which is separate from Zurab Japaridze’s Girchi–More Freedom, has backed participation from the outset. “If you represent a political party, you must participate in elections,” party member Herman Szabo said on August 26 during what appeared to be a modest event – with no attendees shown in a 22-minute video – presenting the party’s City Council (Sakrebulo) candidates and its Tbilisi mayoral pick, Khvichia, who he said was endorsed through internal party primaries.
“I want this city to turn not into a village, as many of my colleagues want, but into New York,” Khvichia said, adding that Tbilisi “must become the economic center of the Caucasus.”
The party also named Sandro Rakviashvili as its candidate for Tbilisi vice mayor and Dato Panjakidze, Giorgi Gvenetadze and Eka Onioni as candidates for Sakrebulo seats.
Khvichia will thus face Georgian Dream’s Kakha Kaladze, the incumbent mayor endorsed by the party for a third term, Irakli Kupradze of the Lelo/Strong Georgia and Gakharia–For Georgia alliance, and Zurab Makharadze of the far-right Conservatives for Georgia (Alt-Info).
Though an opposition force, Girchi usually distances itself from the mainstream opposition and has largely stayed away from the anti-government protests that have continued since November 2024, with demonstrators blocking the capital’s main Rustaveli Avenue nightly for more than 270 days.
Condemning both the ruling party and the opposition, Girchi has sought to portray itself as the only force true to its values. Its policies include support for a liberal drug policy and the right to carry guns.
In the 2024 pre-election period, Girchi faced backlash after its MPs struck a deal with Georgian Dream on abolishing women’s quotas in parliament. In return for Georgian Dream’s support of its bill to scrap the quotas, Girchi voted in favor of the GD candidate for Central Election Commission chairperson.
Also Read:
- 26/08/2025 – Georgian Dream, Lelo/Gakharia’s Tbilisi Majoritarian Candidates for October 4 Local Vote
- 26/08/2025 – ISFED: Election Law Changes Tilt October 4 Vote Further Toward Georgian Dream