2017 Georgian local elections

The 2017 Georgian local elections () were held on 21 October 2017 to elect the bodies of local government of Georgia: 2,058 members of representative councils (sakrebulo) and 64 mayors of municipalities. The votes went into second-round runoffs in six municipalities on 12 November 2017. The ruling Georgian Dream party won in all constituencies under the proportional contest and secured 62 out of 64 mayoral positions.

Background

There are two types of municipalities in Georgia: self-governing cities and self-governing communities. The representative councils (sakrebulo) and executive heads of municipalities – mayors are directly elected by the citizens of Georgia to a four-year term. The election date was appointed by the President of Georgia 60 days prior to the polls and countersigned by the Prime Minister.

The previous elections were held in two rounds in 2014. Most of the sakrebulo (council) and gamgebeli (mayoral) seats were won by the ruling Georgian Dream coalition.

Election campaign The local non-governmental organizations monitoring the elections—the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) and the Transparency International Georgia—jointly assessed the pre-election environment as mostly peaceful and stated that, while political parties were noticeably active, "the ruling party's dominance was evident". The most serious incident in the pre-election campaign occurred in the village of Kizilajlo of Marneuli Municipality in which the Georgian Dream's candidate and other persons were assaulted with a firearm at the party office on October 19.

In the 2017 elections, the first ever openly-gay candidate ran for public office in Georgia. Republican Party candidate Nino Bolkvadze aimed to take her place in the city assembly of the capital of Georgia. "Bolkvadze, who is running for the Republican Party, a small opposition force, said she hoped her campaign would put the spotlight on gay rights and change outdated public perceptions of LGBT people."

2017 Tbilisi mayoral election

The 2017 Tbilisi mayoral election () was held on 21 October to elect the Mayor of Tbilisi. Tbilisi City Assembly elections were held simultaneously.

The main candidates of the mayoral election were Kakha Kaladze, former footballer and minister of energy from the ruling Georgian Dream coalition; journalist Zaal Udumashvili from the UNM; independent candidate Aleko Elisashvili, journalist and a member of the Tbilisi City Assembly; Elene Khoshtaria from European Georgia, journalist and a member of the parliament; Irma Inashvili, leader of the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia and a member of the parliament.

Opinion polls Date PollsterKaladzeUdumashviliElisashviliKhoshtaria Lead 22 September - 2 October 2017 Edison Research34% 14% 14% 5%20% 23 August - 15 October 2017 Metronome33% 13% 29% 14%5% 18 June - 9 July 2017 NDI37% 16% 22% 5%15%

Results

Results Municipality Turnout GD UNM EG APG GLP DMFG SA DM FUG Others Lead Tbilisi 43.4353.15 17.66 9.18 5.62 3.90 3.18 3.44 3.87 35.49 Sagarejo 41.8462.14 12.79 9.29 8.52 3.45 2.95 0.86 49.35 Gurjaani 50.6054.10 11.97 20.64 7.04 3.57 1.42 1.26 33.46 Sighnaghi 47.2356.20 21.85 8.25 8.64 3.06 1.61 0.39 34.35 Dedoplistskaro 47.3461.99 14.87 9.20 8.17 2.45 1.29 2.03 47.12 Lagodekhi 46.5555.10 20.67 11.61 4.71 3.00 3.98 0.93 34.43 Kvareli 54.3354.92 18.35 8.89 9.08 4.90 1.78 2.08 36.57 Telavi 48.7251.58 25.38 9.23 4.46 3.73 1.69 0.56 2.28 1.09 26.20 Akhmeta 50.0053.66 17.55 14.37 5.55 4.88 3.18 0.81 36.11 Tianeti 57.5147.46 4.83 2.53 5.94 3.80 3.95 31.22 0.27 16.24 Rustavi 38.6647.89 21.16 12.42 7.40 5.04 1.97 1.46 2.66 26.73 Gardabani 36.6070.52 9.79 9.01 6.10 3.03 0.85 0.70 60.73 Marneuli 38.6969.47 7.79 18.25 1.16 0.38 0.66 1.56 0.31 0.42 51.22 Bolnisi 44.1080.69 9.96 3.78 3.02 0.93 1.14 0.48 70.73 Dmanisi 53.6575.78 7.72 2.93 2.01 0.76 1.45 9.02 0.33 66.76 Tsalka 45.9566.21 14.67 4.63 7.28 1.58 4.15 1.48 51.54 Tetritskaro 45.3862.81 17.60 9.43 4.40 4.43 1.33 45.21 Mtskheta 48.0560.55 10.84 8.66 12.43 5.69 0.92 0.91 48.12 Dusheti 43.5351.90 6.81 9.26 15.99 11.10 2.82 2.12 35.91 Kazbegi 51.7246.15 8.77 11.99 5.28 9.53 18.28 34.16 Kaspi 42.3456.19 16.32 6.99 11.53 5.28 1.67 2.02 39.87 Gori 40.1951.87 16.94 10.25 5.50 3.36 2.40 7.94 1.74 34.93 Kareli 45.2358.66 18.23 10.45 5.60 4.04 2.24 0.78 40.43 Khashuri 39.3446.05 20.84 8.65 10.24 8.33 3.79 1.06 1.04 25.21 Borjomi 49.1941.32 11.25 5.21 33.67 4.18 3.00 1.37 7.65 Akhaltsikhe 53.5465.62 9.97 19.50 2.19 1.74 0.44 0.54 46.12 Adigeni 65.5259.57 6.91 20.95 7.92 1.70 2.75 0.20 38.62 Aspindza 69.3759.19 7.67 12.25 14.90 3.12 2.50 0.37 44.29 Akhalkalaki 52.2361.33 1.38 4.20 26.66 0.44 4.97 1.02 34.67 Ninotsminda 55.3079.68 1.52 5.88 9.10 2.63 0.89 0.30 70.58 Oni 58.5161.95 11.87 5.38 12.06 3.55 4.46 0.73 49.89 Ambrolauri 63.1463.27 12.78 6.77 7.80 4.36 4.06 0.96 50.49 Tsageri 61.5053.54 8.29 17.04 7.06 5.30 7.80 0.97 36.50 Lentekhi 53.6654.49 11.55 9.15 12.78 3.36 8.06 0.61 41.71 Mestia 63.9459.28 7.59 12.55 12.92 2.46 2.96 2.24 46.36 Kharagauli 63.4356.65 16.65 10.59 5.61 3.09 2.32 4.66 0.43 40.00 Terjola 58.2056.91 8.33 25.15 5.04 2.11 1.92 0.54 31.76 Sachkhere 51.2282.26 4.60 4.85 4.44 3.85 77.41 Zestaponi 44.0351.51 16.41 14.76 9.48 3.82 2.46 1.56 35.10 Baghdati 54.9352.62 19.62 13.55 4.92 3.39 3.34 2.14 0.42 33.00 Vani 56.3063.24 12.77 16.62 3.24 3.05 0.69 0.39 46.62 Samtredia 47.8551.71 22.71 11.38 4.27 2.23 2.70 1.46 2.57 0.97 29.00 Khoni 63.5654.61 8.17 31.42 2.69 2.14 0.50 0.47 23.19 Chiatura 44.6356.56 15.77 8.98 7.50 2.43 2.56 1.74 1.37 3.09 40.79 Tkibuli 50.9849.67 23.67 11.64 6.42 2.37 4.74 0.73 0.76 26.00 Tskaltubo 46.0249.34 26.95 12.65 3.90 2.53 3.46 1.17 22.39 Kutaisi 35.3649.15 23.37 11.93 3.89 3.76 2.86 2.64 0.90 1.50 25.78 Ozurgeti 56.9958.36 13.22 9.75 10.07 4.56 2.15 1.89 45.14 Lanchkhuti 58.3058.24 13.01 12.56 5.68 3.67 3.56 2.22 1.06 45.23 Chokhatauri 64.1854.32 9.59 9.66 11.22 2.43 1.55 7.99 3.24 43.10 Abasha 61.7551.35 23.05 7.93 4.87 1.93 4.12 1.94 4.81 28.30 Senaki 47.2151.07 25.05 12.48 4.31 2.66 1.27 1.19 1.97 26.02 Martvili 61.9440.08 27.77 10.79 7.24 1.38 3.18 9.56 12.31 Khobi 54.6252.61 17.02 13.79 3.80 4.22 3.65 2.60 2.31 35.59 Zugdidi 37.9957.00 24.68 11.06 1.70 2.05 1.88 1.63 32.32 Tsalenjikha 44.9854.96 22.95 12.21 5.08 2.20 1.47 1.13 32.01 Chkhorotsqu 57.4953.65 23.90 6.80 4.35 1.54 2.09 4.33 3.34 29.75 Poti 45.0651.49 15.26 11.60 5.49 4.39 4.41 6.47 0.89 36.23 Batumi 36.3753.91 24.92 6.77 6.73 3.19 1.92 0.92 1.64 28.99 Keda 66.0957.16 20.46 7.77 8.75 2.98 1.96 0.92 36.70 Kobuleti 49.9557.35 24.64 4.25 7.34 1.79 2.93 1.70 32.71 Shuakhevi 61.2460.39 18.46 7.23 5.49 1.65 2.74 4.04 41.93 Khelvachauri 43.7750.65 24.58 8.00 8.52 2.65 3.12 1.86 0.62 26.07 Khulo 59.7551.46 22.99 10.79 4.39 1.37 5.12 3.76 0.12 28.47Source: CEC CEC denotes a self-governing city.

See also Administrative divisions of Georgia (country) Local government in Georgia (country) Tbilisi City Assembly Kutaisi City Assembly Batumi City Assembly

References