Candidates for mid-term elections named
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, March 28
The Georgian Dream and the opposition United National Movement named their candidates for the forthcoming mid-term parliamentary elections on March 27.
The candidates of the Georgian Dream are: Tamar Kordzaia in the Nadzaladevi district, Paata Kiknavelidze in the Baghdati region and Giorgi Kakhiani in the Samtredia region.
According to the Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili, all the candidates are professionals, have a juridical education and will be worthy substitutes of the former.
“Tamar Kordzaia has extensive experience working within the NGO sector and is as fair and principled as the Minister of Justice Tea Tzulikiani. Kiknavelidze has a juridical education and has significant experience as a lawyer. Kakhiani has a juridical education as well, is an associated professor of Tbilisi State University and worked at the supreme and constitutional courts,” Ivanishvili stated.
Coalition member Manana Kobakhidze added that the candidates have a “clean past.”
The United National Movement Candidates are: Emzar Shubladze, acting deputy chair of Samtredia Municipality in Samtredia region, Vladimer Tsikoridze, acting deputy chair of Bagdati Municipality in Bagdati region and former minister in Diaspora Issues Papuna Davitaia in Nadzaladevi district in Tbilisi.
Members of the United National Movement state that the candidates have extensive experience and knowledge working in state structures and their being in the Parliament will be profitable both for the party and the country.
Kakha Kakhishvili, from the Elections and Political Technologies Research Center, stated that it would be better if the coalition “conceded” the three constituencies to the non-parliamentary opposition.
“In the case that there is more diversity in the parliament it would be better for the state’s interests. Through the action, the coalition would make a good gesture towards the international organizations,” Kakhishvili stated.
The parliamentary mid-term elections will be held in the three constituencies on April 27, 2013, according to the decision passed by the Central Election Commission.
Three seats in the parliament became vacant after the single-mandate MPs from the Georgian Dream coalition were appointed to the executive government shortly after the October elections. Tea Tzulukiani, who was elected in Tbilisi’s Nadzaladevi single-mandate constituency, became the Justice Minister; Kakha Kaladze, who won the majoritarian race in Samtredia, took the position of Energy minister, Archil Kbilashvili, who was a majoritarian MP from the Bagdati single-mandate constituency, was appointed as the chief prosecutor.
