The News in Brief
Tuesday, August 2
Parliament Speaker to Stand for Reelection as Majoritarian MP in Tbilisi
The Speaker of the outgoing Parliament, Davit Usupashvili, said he will lead the Republican Party’s list of MP candidates and will also stand as a majoritarian MP candidate in one of Tbilisi’s single-mandate constituencies.
Usupashvili, who was elected to Parliament from Tbilisi’s Saburtalo single-mandate constituency in 2012 when the Republicans ran in elections as part of the Georgian Dream coalition, will seek re-election in the same constituency; after the redistricting, Saburtalo was split into three separate constituencies and Usupashvili will run in one of those.
In addition, a member of Tbilisi City Council and former deputy mayor of the capital city, Sevdia Ugrekhelidze, is running in the same constituency as United National Movement (UNM) party’s candidate. The Free Democrats party has nominated MP Shalva Shavgulidze in the same constituency.
The Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) ruling party has not yet named its candidates in Tbilisi’s 22 single-mandate constituencies.
The ruling party may not nominate its candidate in at least one of Tbilisi’s district as it is considering backing ex-Foreign Minister Salome Zourabishvili, who is running as an independent candidate in Tbilisi’s Mtatsminda district.
Usupashvili said in an interview with Imedi TV on July 29 that as of now there is no similar agreement with the GDDG ruling party on backing his candidacy in the majoritarian race.
Georgia has a mixed electoral system in which 77 seats are allocated proportionally under the party-list contest among political parties, which clear 5% threshold in nationwide popular vote.
The rest of the 73 lawmakers in 150-seat Parliament 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 in the first round, otherwise a second round should be held.
(civil.ge)
Georgian athlete secures last-minute qualification for Rio Olympics
Georgia’s record-breaking Olympic team is expanding – a weightlifter has secured a last-minute qualification for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The unexpected qualification of female weightlifter Anastasia Gottfried caused much excitement within the Georgian Olympic Committee and the wider sporting world.
This year, Georgia will field its largest ever team at an Olympic Competition with 40 athletes, including Gottfried.
She has already travelled to Brazil to join the 39 other athletes representing Georgia at the prestigious sporting event.
She was granted a place at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio after the International Weightlifting Federation decided to disqualify Russian weightlifters from the Olympic competition and distribute their places among other eight countries.
Georgia secured one spot and Gottfried was given the opportunity to go and compete at the Olympic Games.
The President of the Georgian Weightlifting Federation, Kakhi Kakhishvili, said: "We have unexpected and pleasant news. Anastasia Gottfried is a confident, purposeful athlete and she deserves [to go to the] Rio Olympics. I wish every success to our team.”
Gottfried (+75kg) has enjoyed a promising career; her most recent result was runner-up at the latest European Championship and winner of the latest World Championship for juniors.
Forty Georgian athletes – 30 men and 10 women – will compete in 13 disciplines at the Rio Olympics. These disciplines are:
1. Judo,
2. Freestyle wrestling,
3. Greco-Roman wrestling,
4. Athletics,
5. Weightlifting,
6. Archery,
7. Shooting sport,
8. Swimming,
9. Trampolining,
10. Rhythmic gymnastics,
11. Fencing,
12. Tennis,
13. Canoeing.
(agenda.ge)
Georgian Dream will win the parliamentary elections - Giorgi Kvirikashvili
According to Prime Minister and Chairman of the Georgian Dream party Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the Georgian Dream party will win the parliamentary elections.
As Giorgi Kvirikashvili said at the presentation of majoritarian candidates in the city of Gori, in 2012, in the most difficult circumstances, the people of Georgia won together with Bidzina Ivanishvili and that victory was a real victory then for our country’s better future.
"We will win this election as well. The Georgian Dream is the only force that is capable of consolidating the nation and developing the country rapidly. It can bring prosperity to the people”.
“Therefore, once again I say, the Georgian Dream is a unifying force, where all the people, who wish a future for our country, should stand together. We should fight together and develop our country together. Thank you for this support, "said Giorgi Kvirikashvili.
(IPN)
The Speaker of the outgoing Parliament, Davit Usupashvili, said he will lead the Republican Party’s list of MP candidates and will also stand as a majoritarian MP candidate in one of Tbilisi’s single-mandate constituencies.
Usupashvili, who was elected to Parliament from Tbilisi’s Saburtalo single-mandate constituency in 2012 when the Republicans ran in elections as part of the Georgian Dream coalition, will seek re-election in the same constituency; after the redistricting, Saburtalo was split into three separate constituencies and Usupashvili will run in one of those.
In addition, a member of Tbilisi City Council and former deputy mayor of the capital city, Sevdia Ugrekhelidze, is running in the same constituency as United National Movement (UNM) party’s candidate. The Free Democrats party has nominated MP Shalva Shavgulidze in the same constituency.
The Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) ruling party has not yet named its candidates in Tbilisi’s 22 single-mandate constituencies.
The ruling party may not nominate its candidate in at least one of Tbilisi’s district as it is considering backing ex-Foreign Minister Salome Zourabishvili, who is running as an independent candidate in Tbilisi’s Mtatsminda district.
Usupashvili said in an interview with Imedi TV on July 29 that as of now there is no similar agreement with the GDDG ruling party on backing his candidacy in the majoritarian race.
Georgia has a mixed electoral system in which 77 seats are allocated proportionally under the party-list contest among political parties, which clear 5% threshold in nationwide popular vote.
The rest of the 73 lawmakers in 150-seat Parliament 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 in the first round, otherwise a second round should be held.
(civil.ge)
Georgian athlete secures last-minute qualification for Rio Olympics
Georgia’s record-breaking Olympic team is expanding – a weightlifter has secured a last-minute qualification for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The unexpected qualification of female weightlifter Anastasia Gottfried caused much excitement within the Georgian Olympic Committee and the wider sporting world.
This year, Georgia will field its largest ever team at an Olympic Competition with 40 athletes, including Gottfried.
She has already travelled to Brazil to join the 39 other athletes representing Georgia at the prestigious sporting event.
She was granted a place at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio after the International Weightlifting Federation decided to disqualify Russian weightlifters from the Olympic competition and distribute their places among other eight countries.
Georgia secured one spot and Gottfried was given the opportunity to go and compete at the Olympic Games.
The President of the Georgian Weightlifting Federation, Kakhi Kakhishvili, said: "We have unexpected and pleasant news. Anastasia Gottfried is a confident, purposeful athlete and she deserves [to go to the] Rio Olympics. I wish every success to our team.”
Gottfried (+75kg) has enjoyed a promising career; her most recent result was runner-up at the latest European Championship and winner of the latest World Championship for juniors.
Forty Georgian athletes – 30 men and 10 women – will compete in 13 disciplines at the Rio Olympics. These disciplines are:
1. Judo,
2. Freestyle wrestling,
3. Greco-Roman wrestling,
4. Athletics,
5. Weightlifting,
6. Archery,
7. Shooting sport,
8. Swimming,
9. Trampolining,
10. Rhythmic gymnastics,
11. Fencing,
12. Tennis,
13. Canoeing.
(agenda.ge)
Georgian Dream will win the parliamentary elections - Giorgi Kvirikashvili
According to Prime Minister and Chairman of the Georgian Dream party Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the Georgian Dream party will win the parliamentary elections.
As Giorgi Kvirikashvili said at the presentation of majoritarian candidates in the city of Gori, in 2012, in the most difficult circumstances, the people of Georgia won together with Bidzina Ivanishvili and that victory was a real victory then for our country’s better future.
"We will win this election as well. The Georgian Dream is the only force that is capable of consolidating the nation and developing the country rapidly. It can bring prosperity to the people”.
“Therefore, once again I say, the Georgian Dream is a unifying force, where all the people, who wish a future for our country, should stand together. We should fight together and develop our country together. Thank you for this support, "said Giorgi Kvirikashvili.
(IPN)