GD Runs Uncontested in Nearly Half of Municipalities for October 4 Vote

A large Georgian Dream logo in Kakha Kaladze's campaign office in Tbilisi. Photo: Georgian Dream/Facebook

The ruling Georgian Dream party’s mayoral candidates are running unchallenged in 25 of a total of 64 municipalities nationwide, while in three others their only rivals are independent candidates named by so-called “initiative groups” or a minor party, leaving GD without mainstream opposition challengers in a total of 28 municipalities, according to September 9 data from the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The main opposition forces in the October 4 municipal vote are Lelo/Strong Georgia alliance and former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party, which, unlike other mainstream opposition forces, decided to take part in what was widely seen from the outset as an unfair race. The two have joined forces in the run-up to the vote, presenting joint candidates including in Tbilisi. However, even together, their mayoral candidates cover only 36 municipalities, leaving the ruling party uncontested in 28 as the deadline to field candidates has expired.

Lelo/Strong Georgia and For Georgia, which had explained their participation as an effort to challenge Georgian Dream and leave no race uncontested, have faced backlash from boycotting opposition groups and ridicule from the ruling party for failing to field candidates throughout the country, as local elections usually require broader party resources.

“There are 28 municipalities where the two parties together could not select even one person,” Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists on September 11, adding “These are not [political] parties. These are radical groups of agents funded from abroad. Accordingly, they have no public support, which is reflected in the fact that in 28 cases the two parties together could not find a single candidate.”

“This is a capitulation,” Tengo Tevzadze of the boycotting opposition Coalition for Change said, adding that Lelo and Gakharia’s party have failed to stand as “systemic” opposition.

Tevzadze also said Lelo and For Georgia failed to staff many precinct commissions. “Of 3,055 polling stations, Lelo does not have a member in 253 precinct commissions, while Gakharia’s party lacks representatives in 1,337,” he noted, adding that in the regions Gakharia’s party has no members in 41% of precinct commissions.

Lelo/Strong Georgia’s Lana Galdava said the “mine of the opposition votes” lies in big cities, where the party is betting on winning. Large cities, particularly Tbilisi, where Georgian Dream’s support is lower than in the regions, have been Lelo’s focus since the start of its campaign in the partially boycotted vote.

“We know, don’t we, where the biggest rating is and where it is lower. Therefore, Tbilisi, Batumi, the big cities, are indeed the mine of the opposition votes. And I ask you, when they [GD] have only 22% support in Tbilisi, how could we give it up as a gift to Georgian Dream,” Galdava said on air on Formula TV.

Georgia’s October 4 local elections are being widely boycotted by mainstream opposition parties, who say participation would lend legitimacy to the disputed Georgian Dream government and normalize its rule amid ongoing anti-government protests and state repression. The vote will also lack scrutiny, as the OSCE/ODIHR will not observe as it received a last-minute invitation from Georgian Dream, and leading local watchdog ISFED will not deploy a monitoring mission, citing “largely unmet” conditions to ensure a free and fair vote.

In Tbilisi, Georgian Dream nominated incumbent Mayor Kakha Kaladze to seek a third term, while Lelo and For Georgia named Lelo’s Irakli Kupradze as their joint candidate. Others in the capital’s race include right-libertarian Girchi leader Iago Khvichia and Zurab Makharadze of the far-right Conservatives for Georgia.

Below is a list of mayoral candidates for all 64 municipalities from all running parties:

Tbilisi:

Sagarejo:

Gurjaani:

Signaghi

Dedoplistskaro:

Lagodekhi:

Kvareli:

Telavi:

Akhmeta:

Tianeti:

Rustavi:

Gardabani:

Marneuli:

Bolnisi:

Dmanisi:

Tsalka:

Tetritskaro:

Mtskheta:

Dusheti:

Kazbegi:

Kaspi:

Gori:

Kareli:

Khashuri:

Borjomi:

Akhaltsikhe:

Adigeni:

Aspindza:

Akhalkalaki:

Ninotsminda:

Oni:

Ambrolauri:

Tsageri:

Lentekhi:

Mestia:

Kharagauli:

Terjola:

Sachkhere:

Zestaponi:

Baghdati:

Vani:

Samtredia:

Khoni:

Chiatura:

Tkibuli:

Tskaltubo:

Kutaisi:

Ozurgeti:

Lanchkhuti:

Chokhatauri:

Abasha:

Senaki:

Martvili:

Khobi:

Zugdidi:

Tsalenjikha:

Chkhorotsku:

Poti:

Batumi:

Keda:

Kobuleti:

Shuakhevi:

Khelvachauri:

Khulo:

This news was updated on October 4 at 15:50 to include the mayoral candidates for all 64 municipalities from all running parties.

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