Over 100 ethnic Azerbaijani candidates contest Georgian local elections

Georgia is holding municipal elections on October 2. Georgians will elect over 2,000 members of the municipalities for 63 sakrebulo (local consultative bodies) and 63 mayors for the next four years, the Georgian bureau of Report has researched ethnic Azerbaijani candidates running in the polls.

The Georgian Central Election Commission has registered 105 Azerbaijanis as candidates. Under a document published on September 20, three of them - Kanan Omarov (Georgian Dream party), Ahmad Imamguliyev (European Georgia) and Eldar Mustafayev (United National Movement) - are running for the post of Marneuli mayor. The remaining 102 candidates are contesting seats in municipalities. The party with the most Azerbaijani candidates in the election race is the opposition UNM with 32 candidates.

The ruling Georgian Dream party with 29 Azerbaijani candidates comes second for the number of contenders. The European Georgia - Movement for Freedom ranks 3rd with 13 Azerbaijani candidates.

Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia's For Georgia, Lelo, European Democrats parties and the Third Force platform each nominated five Azerbaijani candidates. The Labor Party, the Patriotic Alliance, the Kirchi party each included two Azerbaijani candidates, with the People's Party and one initiative group each including one Azerbaijani candidate.

Candidates are nominated in Marneuli, Bolnisi, Dmanisi, Gardabani, Tsalka districts of Kvemo Kartli region and Rustavi city, Telavi, Sagarejo and Lagodekhi districts of Kakheti region, Mtskheta municipality of Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. Marneuli, Bolnisi and Dmanisi are the first three municipalities with the largest number of Azerbaijani candidates.

Three of 105 candidates are females. The candidates must get over 50 per cent of the votes to win. The second round of the elections will be scheduled in a specific city or district, where the required number of votes will not be collected.

Georgian Dream party is confident that its candidates will win the elections in the very first round by a large margin. According to opinion polls, conducted by the party, in Rustavi, Batumi and Tbilisi this month, the vast majority of voters will support the ruling party's candidates in the upcoming elections. The opposition claims that these results are unreliable and calls them wide of the mark.