Tbilisi elects new Mayor
Georgia held Municipal Elections on October 21st voting for 2,058 members of 64 city councils (sakrebulo) and 64 municipal mayors. The elections successfully expressed the will of the Georgian people and reaffirmed the country’s democratic credentials.
According to the Georgian Central Election Commission’s (CEC) preliminary results on top three runners, from 3702 precincts nationwide: The Georgian Dream earned 55.8 percent of the vote, the United National Movement earned 17.1 percent, and European Georgia got 10.4 percent.
The capital city of Tbilisi holds half of the country’s population and was the center of this vote. The ruling Georgian Dream candidate Kakha Kaladze won the Tbilisi mayoral election with preliminary 51.1 percent of the total votes, according to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission (CEC).
Before being named a mayoral candidate for the ruling Georgian Dream party, Kakha Kaladze held the post of Georgia’s vice prime minister and energy minister. Kaladze led the election headquarters for the Georgian Dream during the 2014 municipal elections and the parliamentary elections of 2016. The party won both of these elections. Before entering into politics, Kaladze had a successful 20-year football career. In 2001, he became the most expensive Georgian player when the Milan football club paid €16 million for him. He stayed in Milan for nine years, and simultaneously captained the Georgian national team. He was named Georgian player of the year for a record of five years.
In an inclusive process, the CEC accredited 30 international and 71 citizen observer organizations. The participation of numerous observers of candidates in all stages of the electoral process contributed to the transparency of the elections. Two citizen observer groups carried out parallel vote tabulation on the Election Day.
Monitoring groups and international observers confirmed the Municipal Elections were free and fair attesting the democratic practices in the country. The International Elections Observation Mission’s preliminary conclusions noted that fundamental freedoms were generally respected and candidates were able to campaign freely in the local elections throughout Georgia. This mission is a joint effort on behalf of The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
Election Day generally proceeded in an orderly manner, although minor procedural errors were noted during the count. The legal framework of Georgia is comprehensive and provides an adequate basis for the conduct of elections in line with democratic principles.
The election administration led by the Central Election Commission (CEC) worked in a timely, efficient, and professional manner. While the CEC generally enjoyed confidence among stakeholders, some opposition contestants questioned the impartiality of the election administration, especially in relation to precinct election commission (PEC) members appointed by the district election commissions (DECs).
The CEC conducted informative trainings for all levels of the election at their training center. The CEC ran a comprehensive voter information campaign and took initiatives to facilitate the participation of voters with disabilities. Authorities have made commendable efforts to further improve the quality of the voter lists. Stakeholders generally expressed confidence in their accuracy and trust in the voter registration process.
Observers also reported cases of misuse of administrative resources and the dominance of the ruling party in pre-election context. However, although partisan and politically-affiliated, an increasingly free and active media fostered greater political debate.
The Embassy of the United States in Georgia also congratulated the government and people of Georgia on “well-administered local elections, which were held in a largely peaceful environment and respected fundamental freedoms.”
“The United States looks forward to continuing our common agenda to advance Georgia’s political and economic development and its aspirations to integrate into Euro-Atlantic institutions and reiterates our steadfast support for Georgia’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” the US Embassy said in its statement.
On October 2nd, CEC Chairperson Tamar Zhvania was awarded the Joe C. Baxter Award by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). The award recognizes contributions by election professionals whose skills and dedication promote the principles of local ownership, transparency, and sustainability in electoral management. Ms. Zhvania has been the chairperson of the CEC in Georgia since September 2013. Under her leadership, the CEC developed a credible elections system and continues to professionalize its election management efforts. She also set up a number of successful educational awareness projects to engage diverse voter groups in the election process.
More Information:
Real Time Election Data, Agenda.ge