Kobakhidze Confident GD Forms Sakrebulo Majorities, Wins Runoffs

Georgian Dream Chair Irakli Kobakhidze expressed confidence today the governing party will form majorities in all municipal and city councils (Sakrebulo), and that its candidates will win mayoral runoffs, to be held in 15 municipalities and self-governing cities of Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Rustavi and Poti on October 30.

MP Kobakhidze stressed the GD is already set to take a single-party majority in “almost every municipal council,” adding the party will easily form “solid” majorities in the rest as well.

In most of the municipal assemblies where there is no clear-cut majority holder yet, it depends on former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party to support either the GD or the United National Movement to form the majority.

MP Kobakhidze ruled out cooperating with the party of “traitor” ex-PM Gakharia, but suggested the For Georgia “will definitely disband.”

Stormed by reporters’ questions on who the GD would cooperate with, MP Kobakhidze said the party will “work with certain members of Sakrebulo.”

Contested councils

Currently, the United National Movement is poised to form a majority in Zugdidi Sakrebulo. Georgian Dream has apparent narrow chances of securing majorities in councils of self-governing cities of Rustavi and Batumi and municipalities of Tsalenjikha and Senaki in the western Samegrelo region.

In Batumi Sakrebulo, GD takes 16 seats, UNM – 15, For Georgia – 3 and Lelo -1. Either the GD or the UNM needs For Georgia’s support to form a majority. The same goes for Rustavi Sakrebulo, where UNM takes 16 seats, GD – 15, For Georgia – 3, and one majoritarian seat goes to a runoff, as well as in Senaki Sakrebulo, where GD takes 14 seats, UNM – 13 and For Georgia – 4, while two majoritarian seats are contested in runoffs.

In Tsalenjikha Sakrebulo, GD takes 9 seats, UNM – 8, For Georgia – 4, and Lelo -1, while 5 majoritarian seats are contested in the runoffs. Both GD and UNM could form a majority in the end, with or without For Georgia’s support.

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