Runoff scheduled for October 30, Gakharia refuses to give endorsements
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Thursday, October 7
Current Mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze, who received 45.06% of the votes in the recent local municipal elections, is heading for a runoff after falling short of the 50% threshold needed to secure a first-round victory against Nika Melia of the United National Movement, the runner-up.
“I respect the will of the voters and any decision Tbilisites make in front of the ballot box, maybe I under-delivered in the process, maybe we could not pay sufficient attention to every relevant issue during our work. I apologize.”
Kaladze said he wouldn't go into detail about why he didn't win in the first round, whether it was because to the ‘tense political situation’ or vote splitting by other candidates, a reference to former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who left the GD in February and ran for mayor of Tbilisi.
Georgian Dream party candidate noted this is not a tragedy and that he is ready to participate in the second round to be held on October 30, adding: “I am sure, with the backing and support of Tbilisi residents we will be able to win.”
He also said that the GD received 29 seats on the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo). “Practically 47% of the voters, every second citizen reaffirmed their confidence in our government,” he emphasized, adding that GD has won the opposition declared so-called ‘referendum’.
In the 2017 Tbilisi mayoral election, GD's Kaladze won a close first-round win, earning 51.09% of the vote, defeating then-independent Aleko Elisashvili (17.48%) and United National Movement's Zaal Udumashvili (16.59 %).
According to the preliminary results, this year, UNM mayoral candidate Nika Melia, backed by European Georgia, Droa and Girchi – More Freedom parties, received 33.95% of votes.
“Considering that the government lost (against the opposition as a whole), there are opportunities for us to win on October 30, to finally staff the Tbilisi City Hall with different individuals who do not only report to a single person,” Melia said.
Winning second rounds in all major cities, according to the UNM head, is critical to securing a prompt legislative election in 2022. In addition to Tbilisi, the run-offs will be held in Batumi, Rustavi, Kutaisi, and Poti, as well as numerous municipalities in Samegrelo, including Zugdidi town, the UNM's traditional bastion.
Melia said he wanted to debate with Kaladze live on TV and promised to establish a coalition government made up of representatives of other parties and non-party personalities before the second round.
Remember that on October 5, the Georgian Parliament terminated Nika Melia's parliamentary mandate with 79 votes in favor out of 83 registered deputies. Melia resigned as a MP in late July. He then went on to say that he plans to focus solely on self-government elections. On July 28, the Georgian Dream cancelled the EU-brokered April 19 agreement, prompting the UNM head to make the statement. According to him, the rest of the National Movement's MPs would remain in parliament to complete the issues related to the transition to the proportional electoral system to the ruling team
The ruling party stated that last year, when certain opposition MPs asked the mandate be terminated, it was sabotage of which Melia was a part of it. This time, according to GD, Melia has made his own decision and they will comply with his request.
After the ruling Georgian Dream party pulled out of the EU-brokered April 19 agreement, the UNM chair chose to quit parliament. Melia stated on July 29 that he intended to concentrate on his mayoral campaign in Tbilisi. On August 3, Melia officially requested his termination.
Following the Prosecutor's Office's request, the Georgian Dream legislative majority terminated Melia's mandate for the first time in December 2019, after a Tbilisi City Court found him guilty of attempting to push the Cartu Bank into bankruptcy in 2013. Melia's parliamentary immunity was revoked in February 2021 after he failed to pay higher bail for removing a monitoring bracelet at an opposition protest in November 2020. His allegations related to the prosecution case of instigating and leading widespread violence outside the Parliament on the night of June 20-21, 2019. Melia's immunity has been suspended by the previous convocation of Parliament in June 2019 for the same reason as well.
Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who came third in Tbilisi mayoral race (9.35%) while his For Georgia party landed third in proportional vote across Georgia in October 2 local polls, and assessed the polls as unfair, said he won’t call on his supporters to back either GD or UNM candidates in the runoffs. According to him, his supporters rejected ‘the two radical powers that form an illusion of fighting with each other.’ According to the preliminary results, both parties are in need for this party’s support, including to form a majority in at least Batumi and Rustavi city councils, and Senaki municipal assembly.
Gakharia aims for Georgian people to combat and defeat a two-party system between groups that are both inclined toward one-man rule. “We cannot and will not insult our voters by urging them to vote for any of them,” said the former PM. He noted that For Georgia will back its candidates in reruns, including Tsageri mayoral hopeful.
Lelo, as announced by party secretary general Badri Japaridze, will support opposition mayoral candidates in all constituencies where they are running in the second round.
“Despite all the obstacles, all the delays, the artificial barriers, Lelo was still able to achieve a significant result and will have a representative in Sakrebulos in 25 municipalities - including 2 representatives in Tbilisi and Batumi Sakrebulos.“ Japaridze informed.
