The Parliamentary Opposition and the State Chancellery Agree on Local Self-Governance Elections

Today an agreement has been reached between the Parliamentary Opposition and head of President’s regional Management Service Badri Khatidze on local self-governance elections. It has been decided, that governors and city mayors would be elected by sakrebulos (regional councils) from their own members and then be assigned by the president. The meeting between the sides was held behind the closed doors. Faction “Traditionalist” did not participate in these consultations, since the issue of territorial division system of Georgia was not included in the agenda of the consultations. We remind, that President was strongly against of direct elections of governors and city mayors by the population.

Both sides agree that there must be complete self-governance on the first level. But there was a major difference in opinions concerning the second level (regional and city self governance). Under the version of the State Chancellery city mayors should have been appointed by the President from the members of sakrebulos. Opposition demanded direct elections of these authorities by the population, or at least they should have been elected by sakrebulos and assigned by President. As we can see know, the sides accepted the latter variant.