On September 13, at an outdoor event held on the central square of the western city of Kutaisi, the nativist Alliance of Patriots party unveiled top 25 MP contenders of its party list, as well as named its Kutaisi majoritarian candidate.
Below is the top 25 MP candidates on the list of AoP who are running in the October 31 parliamentary elections under the party-list, proportional system:
1. Irma Inashvili, Vice Speaker
2. Giorgi Lomia, MP
3. Gocha Tevdoradze, former UNM MP, Deputy Governor of Imereti under former President Mikheil Saakashvili
4. Avtandil Enukidze
5. Zaza (Gela) Mikadze, MP, Head of Georgian Golf Federation
6. Nana Devdariani, former CEC Chairman
7. Pridon Injia, ex-Telecommunications Minister, Labor Party MP in 2002-04
8. Davit Zilpimiani, founder of Stereo+ multiplex digital operator
9. Tsisana Sepiashvili, singer
10. Merab Chikashvili, actor
11. Guram Nikolaishvili, former chief of General Staff, ex-First Deputy Defense Minister
12. Marina Molodini
13. Vakhtang Kolbaia, former Chair of Abkhazia Government-in-exile
14. Samvel Petrosyan
15. Eka Mirianashvili
16. Archil Lekishvili
17. Besik Tskipurishvili
18. Ani Kiknadze
19. Davit Giorgobiani
20. Mariam Batirishvili, from the Kist community of Pankisi Gorge
21. Maia Kutubidze
22. Goderdzi Amashukeli
23. Toma Khabeishvili
24. Makhir Usubov
25. Tatiana Martinenko
The “patriot” leaders Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi and Irma Inashvili presented Nona Asatiani, doctor, as a majoritarian candidate for Kutaisi single-mandate constituency. “Our party offers a stimulus to ladies to enter politics,” Vice Speaker Inashvili said.
In Kutaisi, Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi claimed that the Alliance of Patriots is “the strongest political force” in the country, adding that voting for the ruling Georgian Dream party would mean voting for coalition government of the GD and United National Movement.
Explaining his decision to be absent from the party list, Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, the leader of the Kremlin-friendly party, said he plans to “devote his time to Sokhumi and Tskhinvali.” We will restore all of the ties with Sokhumi and Tskhinvali, he highlighted.
Tarkhan-Mouravi then denounced the recent CEC decision to fine the AoP for its campaign videos reportedly containing anti-Turkish messages.
“We do not hate anyone, we do not hate Turks,” Davit Tarkhan Mouravi went on, “[but] we will not tolerate Turkish President Erdoğan saying that as per Turkish historians Batumi is [Turkey]. As far as I know, Erdogan is born in Rize. Rize is Georgia ..[…].. which is now for whatever reason located in Turkey. Adjara is Georgia, it will never become Turkey.”
In parallel to the outdoor meeting, a small group of local activists held a counter-protest against the Alliance of Patriors. Protesting the “pro-Russian politics” of the party, activists staged “Russian borscht for pro-Russians” performance, offering sour soup for the supporters of the Kremlin-friendly party.
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