Narmania officially launches election campaign
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, April 16
Tbilisi’s Mayoral election marathon has officially started. Georgian Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, David Narmania, announced his resignation and instead will run as the Georgian Dream Mayoral candidate in the June 15 self-government elections set by President Giorgi Margvelashvili.
Narmania announced his resignation at the cabinet session on Monday.
“I want to thank you for the fertile work and support that I felt from you, Narmania said, adding that he is really proud and happy to be serving this country with his former team, which continues to do its job successfully.
“Together we overcame the period of political cohabitation, there was much resistance and if it weren’t for our unity, we would not have got this result,” Georgian Dream’s mayoral candidate said.
Before leaving his position as the minister, Narmania presented the Regional Development and Infrastructure Ministry’s 2013 annual report to the Prime Minister and wished success to the cabinet.
“Many very important reforms have been made in our ministry some of them were about the self-governance elections too. It is the result of our reforms that mayors and local governors are now elected everywhere and not only in the capital. There are many positive points made during our work and this tendency must continue. This reform also must continue, because the process needs a few years to be completed,” former minister said.
Prime Minister, Irakli Gharibashvili, said at the cabinet session that Narmania will not have to fight hard in the upcoming elections. “I am deeply convinced that he will win these elections convincingly, because he is a candidate that has no alternative,” Gharibashvili stated.
Gharibashvili warned Narmania about the possible problems he may face in Tbilisi, which according to the Prime Minister the former mayor has left. “I believe that you will tackle these problems with dignity like you were while serving as the minister,” Gharibashvili stressed.
The coalition’s mayoral candidate will have to compete with the challengers form parliamentary and non-parliamentary opposition including United National Movement (UNM)’s Nika Melia, New Rights and Free Georgia’s Kakha Kukava, Christian Democratic Movement and Nino Burjanadze’s Democratic Movement - United Georgia’s Dimitri Lortkipanidze, and the Labor Party’s Asmat Tkabladze.
