tamar-kordzaia

Tamar Kordzaia is Georgian Dream’s candidate for the Nadzaladevi district in the capital Tbilisi. (Georgian Dream photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Central Election Commission in Georgia has confirmed the list of candidates for the by-elections on April 27.

The two major political blocs in Georgia presented their majoritarian candidates one week ago.

The election is needed because three members of parliament for the Georgian Dream coalition left their posts when they were appointed to positions in the government.

Papuna Davitaia, former state minister for diaspora issues in Saakashvili’s government, is a candidate in Tbilisi’s Nadzaladevi district, a seat which became empty when Tea Tsulukiani, who won the district in the October 1 parliamentary election, was appointed as justice minister.

Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili presented Tamar Kordzaia as his Georgian Dream coalition’s candidates in Nadzaladevi. She is a well-known civil society activist who mainly used to work with media issues. In all, eleven candidates are competing for the Nadzaladevi seat.

Giorgi Kakhiani, a lawyer, will be Georgian Dream’s candidate in the Samtredia race.

The National Movement will be represented there by Emzar Shubladze, deputy chairman of the Samtredia town council. The town lies in in western Georgia and is the hometown of former AC Milan player Kakhi Kaladze, who won there last October but was appointed as energy minister.

UNM will be represented in Baghdati, close to Samtredia, by the deputy chairman of the local council Vladimer Tsikoridze. Chief Prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili won the district in 2012. Five candidates are competing in Samtredia district.

Georgian Dream coalition will be represented in Baghdati by Paata Kiknavelidze, also a lawyer. There are eight candidates in that by-election.

The Georgian Dream coalition won the parliamentary election on October 1, 2012, with 54.97 percent of the votes. The National Movement Party received 40.34 percent.