A total of fifteen parties have set up three separate election blocs to run on a joint ticket in the May 21 parliamentary elections. Deadline for setting up blocs expired on April 8.
The nine-party opposition bloc will run under the name – United Opposition–the National Council–New Rights.
Traditionalists Party, led by veteran politician Akaki Asatiani, who kept a low political profile in recent years, has teamed up with two newly set up parties – Our Georgia, led by MP Gocha Jojua (the party mainly uniting figures who were in the late tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili’s presidential election campaign) and Women’s Party, led by MP Guguli Magradze, who quit the ruling party just recently.
The third election bloc, Rightist Alliance–Topadze Industrialists, unites: Industry Will Save Georgia, founded by beer magnate, Gogi Topadze; National-Democratic Party (NDP) and Ertoba (Unity), the party led by MP Jumber Patiashvili, who was a Communist leader of Soviet Georgia in late 90s. The Industrialists and NDP supported the New Rights Party leader Davit Gamkrelidze’s presidential bid in the January 5 presidential elections.
According to the Central Election Commission so far nine parties have been registered, which will run in the parliamentary elections independently. The list includes:
1. The ruling National Movement Party;
2. opposition Republican Party, led by Davit Usupashvili;
3. opposition Labor Party, led by Shalva Natelashvili;
4. Christian-Democratic Movement, led by ex-anchor of Imedi TV Giorgi Targamadze;
5. Christian-Democratic Alliance, led by Giorgi Kobakhidze;
6. The Georgian Politics, newly set up party led by MP Gocha Pipia;
7. Our Country, led by Tamaz Gugunishvili;
8. National Movement of Radical-Democrats of Georgia, led by Shalva Kuprashvili;
9. Union of Georgian Sportsmen, led by Valery Giorgobiani
Deadline for submission of party/bloc-lists of MP candidates running under the proportional system, as well as for submission of majoritarian MP candidates by parties/blocs expires on April 21.