Candidates prepare for parliamentary by-elections
By Keti Arjevanidze
Tuesday, April 23
MP candidates in three constituencies– Nadzaladevi, Baghdati and Samtredia– are preparing for parliamentary by-elections, scheduled for April 27. Candidates will hold pre-election meetings with the residents of their constituencies and introduce their plan of action. Tea Tzulukiani, Archil Kbilashvili and Kakha Kaladze were suspended of their rights of majoritarian MP in these three constituencies after moving into the executive government.
President Mikheil Saakahsvili also participated in the United National Movement (UNM)’s election campaign in the Baghdati region with Vladimer Tsikoridze.
According to Tsikoridze his main target will be to resolve the problems that Baghdati residents face and also to recover from “the existing critical political situation” in the country. Tsikoridze’s counterpart in this region from the ruling Georgian Dream coalition is lawyer Paata Kiknavelidze.
MP candidate from the National Democratic Party, Davit Sharabidze, has withdrawn his candidacy in the Georgian Dream candidate’s favor. According to Sharabidze, he carried out an internal survey in the region, which showed that most Baghdati residents support the Georgian Dream candidate. Kiknavelidze welcomed Sharabidze’s decision, saying that it was a positive political gesture.
MP candidate form the Georgian Dream in the Nadzaladevi constituency in Tbilisi, Tamar Kordzaia, also met with Lotkini district residents. The population shared the major problems of the region with the candidate. Kordzaia emphasized that for her it is important to transfer their opinions to the parliament along with the close relationship between voters and candidate.
MP candidate from UNM in the Nadzladevi region, Papuna Davitaia, met with the residents of Sanzona. Davitaia promised to fight against poverty and unemployment if he is victorious. “We have to move our political spectrum on the main issue– this is unemployment and poverty,” Davitraia stressed.
The leader of Free Georgia and the Nadzaladevi constituency, MP candidate Kakha Kukava, also introduced his election program. “If Nadzaladevi wants to vote against cohabitation, against the decomposition of national values, on April 27 we are giving them this opportunity,” said Kukava.
A supporting concert was held in Kikvidze’s garden for the independent candidate in the Nadzaladevi constituency, Soso Manjavidze. Kikvidze’s garden also hosted an additional independent candidate– Zviad Chitishvili.
The Central Election Commission of Georgia has begun to print the ballots for the by-elections. In total, 198, 500 ballot papers will be printed for the by-elections: 131, 500 ballot papers for the ¹9 Nadzaladevi District Election Commission (DEC); 21, 450 ballot papers for the ¹52 Baghdati DEC; and 45, 550 ballot papers for the ¹54 Samtredia DEC.
The precinct and the district commissions have already been staffed. Twenty Georgian and seven international organizations will monitor the elections of the three single-mandate MPs from the Baghdati, Samtredia and Nadzaladevi constituencies. The representatives of foreign diplomatic missions will be also observing the polling stations.
