Nino Bolkvadze will be the first openly lesbian to run for public office in the Republic of Georgia

Nino Bolkvadze.

TBILISI, DFWatch–For the first time, an openly lesbian woman will run for political office in Georgia.

Nino Bolkvadze, a professional lawyer, was nominated Friday by the Republican Party to compete for a seat in the Tbilisi city council, the Sakrebulo, this October.

Bolkvadze, who will run on the party list, has campaigned for LGBTI causes as an activist for various non-governmental organizations.

The Sakrebulo consists of 37 members, 25 out of which are elected directly in local districts and 12 by the party lists.

The Republican Party currently has a small faction in the Sakrebulo, consisting of three members. The party was a member of the Georgian Dream coalition in the last elections but left the coalition last year in order to run independently in the parliamentary elections.

The Republicans, which was established back in 1978 by Soviet dissidents, is regarded as one of the most western-oriented political forces in the country.

According to NDI’s latest poll, the Republican Party is below the 3 percent threshold for getting represented in parliament.