2017 Georgian local elections

21 October 2017 (first round) 12 November 2017 (second round)
Turnout	45.65% (first round) 33.24% (second round)
Party Georgian Dream UNM European Georgia Popular vote 838,154 256,547 156,232 Percentage 55.81% 17.08% 10.4%   Party APG Labour Party DM - FG Popular vote 98,530 49,130 38,898 Percentage 6.56% 3.27% 2.59%

The 2017 Georgian local elections (Georgian: საქართველოს ადგილობრივი თვითმმართველობის ორგანოების არჩევნები) were held on 21 October 2017^[1] to elect the bodies of local government of Georgia: 2,058 members of representative councils (sakrebulo) and 64 mayors of municipalities. The votes went into second-round runoffs in six municipalities on 12 November 2017.^[2] The ruling Georgian Dream party won in all constituencies under the proportional contest and secured 62 out of 64 mayoral positions.

Background

There are two types of municipalities in Georgia: self-governing cities and self-governing communities. The representative councils (sakrebulo) and executive heads of municipalities – mayors are directly elected by the citizens of Georgia to a four-year term. The election date was appointed by the President of Georgia 60 days prior to the polls and countersigned by the Prime Minister.^[3]

The previous elections were held in two rounds in 2014. Most of the sakrebulo (council) and gamgebeli (mayoral) seats were won by the ruling Georgian Dream coalition.^[4]

Election campaign

The local non-governmental organizations monitoring the elections—the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) and the Transparency International Georgia—jointly assessed the pre-election environment as mostly peaceful and noted that, while political parties were noticeably active, "the ruling party's dominance was evident".^[5] The most serious incident in the pre-election campaign occurred in the village of Kizilajlo of Marneuli Municipality in which the Georgian Dream's candidate and other persons were assaulted with a firearm at the party office on October 19.^[5]

In the 2017 elections, the first ever openly-gay candidate ran for public office in Georgia. Republican Party candidate Nino Bolkvadze aimed to take her place in the city assembly of the capital of Georgia. "Bolkvadze, who is running for the Republican Party, a small opposition force, said she hoped her campaign would put the spotlight on gay rights and change outdated public perceptions of LGBT people."^[6]

2017 Tbilisi mayoral election

2017 Tbilisi mayoral election

21 October 2017
Turnout	43.43%
Nominee Kakha Kaladze Aleko Elisashvili Zaal Udumashvili Party Georgian Dream Independent UNM Popular vote 204,061 69,803 66,259 Percentage 51.09% 17.48% 16.59%   Nominee Elene Khoshtaria Irma Inashvili Giorgi Vashadze Party European Georgia APG New Georgia Popular vote 28,411 12,070 7,800 Percentage 7.11% 3.02% 1.95%

The 2017 Tbilisi mayoral election (Georgian: თბილისის მერის არჩევნები) was held on 21 October to elect the Mayor of Tbilisi. Tbilisi City Assembly elections were held simultaneously.

The main candidates of the mayoral election were Kakha Kaladze, former footballer and minister of energy from the ruling Georgian Dream coalition; journalist Zaal Udumashvili from the UNM; independent candidate Aleko Elisashvili, journalist and a member of the Tbilisi City Assembly; Elene Khoshtaria from European Georgia, journalist and a member of the parliament; Irma Inashvili, leader of the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia and a member of the parliament.

Results

Municipality	Turnout	GD	UNM	EG	APG	GLP	DMFG	SA	DM	FUG	Others	Lead
Tbilisi*	43.43	53.15	17.66	9.18	5.62	3.90	3.18	3.44			3.87	35.49
Sagarejo	41.84	62.14	12.79	9.29	8.52	3.45	2.95				0.86	49.35
Gurjaani	50.60	54.10	11.97	20.64	7.04	3.57	1.42				1.26	33.46
Sighnaghi	47.23	56.20	21.85	8.25	8.64	3.06	1.61				0.39	34.35
Dedoplistskaro	47.34	61.99	14.87	9.20	8.17	2.45	1.29				2.03	47.12
Lagodekhi	46.55	55.10	20.67	11.61	4.71	3.00	3.98				0.93	34.43
Kvareli	54.33	54.92	18.35	8.89	9.08	4.90	1.78				2.08	36.57
Telavi	48.72	51.58	25.38	9.23	4.46	3.73	1.69	0.56	2.28		1.09	26.20
Akhmeta	50.00	53.66	17.55	14.37	5.55	4.88	3.18				0.81	36.11
Tianeti	57.51	47.46	4.83	2.53	5.94	3.80	3.95			31.22	0.27	16.24
Rustavi*	38.66	47.89	21.16	12.42	7.40	5.04	1.97	1.46			2.66	26.73
Gardabani	36.60	70.52	9.79	9.01	6.10	3.03	0.85				0.70	60.73
Marneuli	38.69	69.47	7.79	18.25	1.16	0.38	0.66	1.56	0.31		0.42	51.22
Bolnisi	44.10	80.69	9.96	3.78	3.02	0.93	1.14				0.48	70.73
Dmanisi	53.65	75.78	7.72	2.93	2.01	0.76	1.45		9.02		0.33	66.76
Tsalka	45.95	66.21	14.67	4.63	7.28		1.58	4.15			1.48	51.54
Tetritskaro	45.38	62.81	17.60		9.43	4.40	4.43				1.33	45.21
Mtskheta	48.05	60.55	10.84	8.66	12.43	5.69	0.92				0.91	48.12
Dusheti	43.53	51.90	6.81	9.26	15.99	11.10	2.82				2.12	35.91
Kazbegi	51.72	46.15		8.77	11.99	5.28	9.53				18.28	34.16
Kaspi	42.34	56.19	16.32	6.99	11.53	5.28	1.67				2.02	39.87
Gori	40.19	51.87	16.94	10.25	5.50	3.36	2.40		7.94		1.74	34.93
Kareli	45.23	58.66	18.23	10.45	5.60	4.04	2.24				0.78	40.43
Khashuri	39.34	46.05	20.84	8.65	10.24	8.33	3.79	1.06			1.04	25.21
Borjomi	49.19	41.32	11.25	5.21	33.67	4.18	3.00				1.37	7.65
Akhaltsikhe	53.54	65.62	9.97	19.50	2.19	1.74	0.44				0.54	46.12
Adigeni	65.52	59.57	6.91	20.95	7.92	1.70	2.75				0.20	38.62
Aspindza	69.37	59.19	7.67	12.25	14.90	3.12	2.50				0.37	44.29
Akhalkalaki	52.23	61.33	1.38	4.20	26.66	0.44	4.97				1.02	34.67
Ninotsminda	55.30	79.68	1.52	5.88	9.10		2.63	0.89			0.30	70.58
Oni	58.51	61.95	11.87	5.38	12.06	3.55			4.46		0.73	49.89
Ambrolauri	63.14	63.27	12.78	6.77	7.80	4.36	4.06				0.96	50.49
Tsageri	61.50	53.54	8.29	17.04	7.06	5.30	7.80				0.97	36.50
Lentekhi	53.66	54.49	11.55	9.15	12.78	3.36	8.06				0.61	41.71
Mestia	63.94	59.28	7.59	12.55	12.92	2.46	2.96				2.24	46.36
Kharagauli	63.43	56.65	16.65	10.59	5.61	3.09	2.32		4.66		0.43	40.00
Terjola	58.20	56.91	8.33	25.15	5.04	2.11	1.92				0.54	31.76
Sachkhere	51.22	82.26	4.60	4.85	4.44						3.85	77.41
Zestafoni	44.03	51.51	16.41	14.76	9.48	3.82	2.46				1.56	35.10
Baghdati	54.93	52.62	19.62	13.55	4.92	3.39	3.34		2.14		0.42	33.00
Vani	56.30	63.24	12.77	16.62	3.24	3.05	0.69				0.39	46.62
Samtredia	47.85	51.71	22.71	11.38	4.27	2.23	2.70	1.46	2.57		0.97	29.00
Khoni	63.56	54.61	8.17	31.42	2.69	2.14	0.50				0.47	23.19
Chiatura	44.63	56.56	15.77	8.98	7.50	2.43	2.56	1.74	1.37		3.09	40.79
Tkibuli	50.98	49.67	23.67	11.64	6.42	2.37	4.74	0.73			0.76	26.00
Tskaltubo	46.02	49.34	26.95	12.65	3.90	2.53	3.46				1.17	22.39
Kutaisi*	35.36	49.15	23.37	11.93	3.89	3.76	2.86	2.64	0.90		1.50	25.78
Ozurgeti	56.99	58.36	13.22	9.75	10.07	4.56	2.15				1.89	45.14
Lanchkhuti	58.30	58.24	13.01	12.56	5.68	3.67	3.56	2.22			1.06	45.23
Chokhatauri	64.18	54.32	9.59	9.66	11.22	2.43	1.55		7.99		3.24	43.10
Abasha	61.75	51.35	23.05	7.93	4.87	1.93	4.12	1.94			4.81	28.30
Senaki	47.21	51.07	25.05	12.48	4.31	2.66	1.27		1.19		1.97	26.02
Martvili	61.94	40.08	27.77	10.79	7.24	1.38	3.18				9.56	12.31
Khobi	54.62	52.61	17.02	13.79	3.80	4.22	3.65		2.60		2.31	35.59
Zugdidi	37.99	57.00	24.68	11.06	1.70	2.05	1.88				1.63	32.32
Tsalenjikha	44.98	54.96	22.95	12.21	5.08	2.20	1.47				1.13	32.01
Chkhorotsqu	57.49	53.65	23.90	6.80	4.35	1.54	2.09		4.33		3.34	29.75
Poti*	45.06	51.49	15.26	11.60	5.49	4.39	4.41		6.47		0.89	36.23
Batumi*	36.37	53.91	24.92	6.77	6.73	3.19	1.92	0.92			1.64	28.99
Keda	66.09	57.16	20.46	7.77	8.75	2.98	1.96				0.92	36.70
Kobuleti	49.95	57.35	24.64	4.25	7.34	1.79	2.93				1.70	32.71
Shuakhevi	61.24	60.39	18.46	7.23	5.49	1.65	2.74				4.04	41.93
Khelvachauri	43.77	50.65	24.58	8.00	8.52	2.65	3.12		1.86		0.62	26.07
Khulo	59.75	51.46	22.99	10.79	4.39	1.37	5.12		3.76		0.12	28.47
Source: CEC CEC

^* denotes a self-governing city.

See also

• Administrative divisions of Georgia (country)
• Local government in Georgia (country)
• Tbilisi City Assembly
• Kutaisi City Assembly
• Batumi City Assembly

References