The 2021 Georgian local elections () were held on 2 and 30 October to elect the bodies of local government of Georgia. The voters elected 2,068 representatives in the 64 municipal assemblies (sakrebulo) and 64 mayors. The ruling Georgian Dream party secured victory in all mayoral elections except that in Tsalenjikha but lost its majority in 7 out of 64 municipal assemblies. Background 19 April agreement

On 19 April 2021, the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition signed an agreement, which ended a six-month political crisis stemming from the contested 2020 parliamentary elections. The agreement stipulated snap parliamentary elections if the Georgian Dream party would garner less than 43% of the vote in the October 2021 local elections. It also envisaged a change in the electoral system at the local level: 4:1 proportion of proportional and majoritarian seats in five major cities and 2:1 proportion in all others. At the same time, a 3% threshold was set for the proportional system in the regions and a 2.5% threshold in Tbilisi. The 40% demand was set for the majoritarian system. The Georgian Parliament adopted relevant amendments to the Election Code on June 28, 2021.

Most parties signed the agreement, and elected opposition MPs took up their parliamentary mandates which they had refused until then. However, the largest opposition party United National Movement refused to join the agreement, which later led to Georgian Dream withdrawing from the agreement two months before the October 2021 local elections. According to the head of the Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze, the agreement "failed to accomplish its goals" because of the UNM's refusal to join it.

Arrest of Mikheil Saakashvili

Former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who left Georgia in 2013 and was condemned by the Tbilisi City Court to six years in prison in absentia for abuse of power, embezzlement, and his implication in the attempted murder of an opposition MP, announced his return to Georgia on 1 October 2021, on the eve of the local elections. Saakashvili went live on Facebook and called on his followers to march on the capital, Tbilisi. Some government officials initially denied Saakashvili's arrival and said that he was in Ukraine. However, later on the same day Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili held press briefing, where he announced that Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi. According to the investigation, Saakashvili entered the country secretly, hiding in a semi-trailer truck loaded with milk products. He illegally crossed the state border of Georgia, bypassing the customs control.

Electoral system

Local self-government is the right and ability of citizens of Georgia to solve, within the legislation of Georgia, local issues through local authorities elected by them. There are two types of self-governing units (municipalities): self-governing cities and self-governing communities. A self-governing city is a settlement of an urban category, while a self-governing community is an aggregation of several settlements with administrative boundaries and an administrative center. There are 5 self-governing cities and 59 self-governing communities. Self-governing cities are Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Rustavi, Poti. The representative bodies (a representative council, in Georgian Sakrebulo) and a mayor, the head of the executive bodies, are directly elected by the citizens of Georgia registered in a self-governing unit for a four-year term. Members of Sakrebulos of the self-governing communities and the self-governing cities are elected through the majoritarian and proportional electoral systems. The election date is appointed by the President of Georgia 60 days prior to the polls and countersigned by Prime Minister.

The Annex No. 1 to then сurrent Election Code established the compositions of Sakrebulos of self-governing communities and self-governing cities, except the Tbilisi Sakrebulo, which was composed of 50 members, out of which 10 members were elected in the territory of local single-seat majoritarian electoral districts, and 40 were elected through the proportional electoral system in the whole territory of Tbilisi municipality.

Compositions of Sakrebulos of self-governing communities and self-governing cities (except for Tbilisi City) according to the Annex No. 1 to the Election Code:

Electoral DistrictMajoritarian Electoral SystemProportional Electoral SystemTotalBatumi Electoral District72835Kutaisi Electoral District72835Rustavi Electoral District72835Poti Electoral District72835Sagarejo Electoral District132639Gurjaani Electoral District132639Sighnaghi Electoral District122436Dedoplistsqaro Electoral District102030Lagodekhi Electoral District102030Kvareli Electoral District91827Telavi Electoral District132639Akhmeta Electoral District102030Tianeti Electoral District91827Gardabani Electoral District122436Marneuli Electoral District112233Bolnisi Electoral District122436Dmanisi Electoral District102030Tsalka Electoral District102030Tetritsqaro Electoral District122436Mtskheta Electoral District91827Dusheti Electoral District112233Kazbegi Electoral District61218Kaspi Electoral District102030Gori Electoral District122436Kareli Electoral District91827Khashuri Electoral District91827Borjomi Electoral District112233Akhaltsikhe Electoral District132639Adigeni Electoral District112233Aspindza Electoral District102030Akhalkalaki Electoral District142842Ninotsminda Electoral District102030Oni Electoral District112233Ambrolauri Electoral District102030Tsageri Electoral District102030Lentekhi Electoral District71421Mestia Electoral District112233Kharagauli Electoral District112233Terjola Electoral District102030Sachkhere Electoral District112233Zestaponi Electoral District132639Baghdati Electoral District91827Vani Electoral District102030Samtredia Electoral District112233Khoni Electoral District102030Chiatura Electoral District122436Tkibuli Electoral District91827Tskaltubo Electoral District132639Ozurgeti Electoral District151430Lanchkhuti Electoral District91827Chokhatauri Electoral District122436Abasha Electoral District102030Senaki Electoral District112233Martvili Electoral District122436Zugdidi Electoral District153045Khobi Electoral District122436Tsalenjikha Electoral District91827Chkhorotsku Electoral District91827Keda Electoral District71421Kobuleti Electoral District132639Shuakhevi Electoral District71421Khelvachauri Electoral District81624Khulo Electoral District81624Overall6541,3642,018

2021 Tbilisi mayoral election

The 2021 Tbilisi mayoral election (Georgian: თბილისის მერის არჩევნები) was held on 2 and 30 October 2021 to elect the Mayor of Tbilisi in parallel to the Tbilisi City Sakrebulo elections.

The main candidates for the mayoral election were Kakha Kaladze, the incumbent Mayor of Tbilisi and former Minister of Energy from the ruling Georgian Dream party, Nika Melia, Member of Parliament from the United National Movement, and Giorgi Gakharia, former Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs from the recently established For Georgia party.

In total, 16 candidates were nominated for the Tbilisi mayoral election.

Opinion polls Date PollsterGDUNMFor GeorgiaGirchi MFEG Lelo TFLabour PartyPatriotsGirchi Citizens Others/NA Lead September 2021Edison Research 36%27%11%4%2%4%2%4%2%2%1%5%9%September 2021IPSOS 35%30%9%2%4%3%3%3%2%1%8%5%September 2021Edison Research 33%25%10%4%2%3%2%6%3%2%1%8%8%August 2021GORBI 47.2%26.8%6.9%2.4%1.4%2.6%2.1%1.2%3.4%0.8%1.6%3.6%20.4%July 2021Edison Research 32%24%13%2%1%4%4%3%3%2%2%13%8%July 2021IPSOS 32%23%8%5%3%2%2%3%3%1%2%16%9%

Results