GDDG’s Party List of MP Candidates

Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) ruling party’s complete list of MP candidates, who will be running for parliament under the proportional system, was made public on September 9, after the deadline for submitting the list to the Central Election Commission expired.

The list is led by PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili, followed by Kakha Kaladze, who is now energy minister and GDDG’s election campaign chief. Unlike the PM, Kaladze will have to resign from the post of Energy Minister after he is formally registered as MP candidate by the CEC. If GDDG wins majority in the Parliament, Kvirikashvili will be re-elected as PM and in that case he will have to quit the Parliament.

20 out of first 50 candidates in the list are incumbent MPs, but none of them are in the top 10 candidates of the list majority of which is made up of newly recruited members of the ruling party.

Below is the list of top 50 candidates in GDDG’s party list:

  1. PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili – he is chairman of GDDG party;
  2. Kakha Kaladze;
  3. Irakli Kobakhidze, who is GDDG’s executive secretary since early 2015;
  4. Tamar Chugoshvili – she chaired Tbilisi-based legal advocacy group Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association for two years till December, 2012, and was PM’s aide on human rights issues in 2013-2014
  5. Giorgi Gakharia – he served as a business ombudsman at the PM’s office since late 2012;
  6. Akaki Zoidze – he GDDG in May; he was deputy state minister in healthcare issues till November 2003;
  7. Tamar Khulordava – she was first deputy minister of penitentiary system since September, 2015;
  8. Roman Kakulia – he was head of the EU assistance coordination department at the State Ministry of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration;
  9. Sophiko Katsarava – she was a political officer at the British embassy in Tbilisi before joining GDDG in July;
  10. Irina Pruidze;
  11. Kakha Kuchava – a corporate lawyer, who joined GDDG in July;
  12. MP Manana Kobakhidze – vice speaker of outgoing parliament;
  13. MP Eka Beselia – chairperson of human rights committee in outgoing parliament;
  14. MP Zviad Kvachantiradze;
  15. MP Zviad Dzidziguri – vice speaker of outgoing parliament;
  16. MP Gia Zhorzholiani;
  17. MP Giorgi Gachechiladze;
  18. Irakli Kovzanadze – a former MP, who was CEO of state investment fund, Partnership Fund, from late 2012 till September, 2015;
  19. MP Ruslan Pogosian;
  20. MP Makhir Darziev;
  21. Archil Khabadze – he was head of local government in Adjara Autonomous Republic from October 2012 till July, 2016;
  22. MP Leri Khabelov;
  23. Samvle Manukian;
  24. MP Victor Japaridze;
  25. MP Nukri Kantaria;
  26. Isko Daseni – a former prosecutor, who is honorary consul of Moldova to Georgia since 2014;
  27. Dimitri Samkharadze;
  28. Vano Zardiashvili;
  29. Shota Shalelashvili;
  30. MP Irakli Tripolski;
  31. MP Mirian Tsiklauri; 
  32. MP Giorgi Kakhiani – he is a chairman of procedures committee in outgoing parliament;
  33. Revaz Arveladze – he was MP in 1999-2003;
  34. Dimitri Tskitishvili;
  35. MP Giga Bukia;
  36. Teimuraz Kokhreidze;
  37. MP Teimuraz Tchkuaseli
  38. Svetlana Kudba – a member of outgoing local parliament in Adjara Autonomous Republic;
  39. Rati Ionatamishvili;
  40. MP Dimitri Khundadze – he is also running for a majoritarian MP seat in Mtskheta single-member district;
  41. MP Otar Chrdileli;
  42. Alexandre Erkvania;
  43. Endzela Machavariani;
  44. Gia Benashvili;
  45. MP Karlo Kopaliani;
  46. MP Guguli Magradze;
  47. Davit Matikashvili;
  48. Giorgi Khatidze;
  49. Anri Okhanashvili;
  50. Levan Mgaloblishvili;

Starting from 56th place, the list is made of those candidates, who also run for majoritarian MP seats in single-member districts. According to MP Nukri Kantaria, GDDG decided to place majoritarian MP candidates below in the list from where there actually is no chance for being elected in the Parliament through proportional, party list system. Candidates ranked higher on their respective party’s list of MP candidates have more chances of being elected in the Parliament if that party clears 5% threshold in nationwide vote.

Georgia has a mixed electoral system in which 73 lawmakers are elected in 73 single-member constituencies, known in Georgia as “majoritarian” mandates (a candidate has to win over 50% of votes in order to be an outright winner otherwise a second round should be held), and rest 77 seats are allocated proportionally under the party-list contest among political parties, which clear 5% threshold in nationwide popular vote.

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