Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Footballer-minister Kaladze accused of election violation

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Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze denied having violated election laws. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A government spokesperson in Georgia defended himself Sunday against criticism from an opposition politician for standing in front of a political banner during a press conference on election day.

Energy Minister and Vice Prime Minister Kakhi Kaladze

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What you need to know about Georgia's local election

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Today’s election marks a significant expansion of local democracy in Georgia. (DF Watch.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Sunday’s election in Georgia marks a significant expansion of local democracy in the country.

Voters are electing twelve new mayors, 59 gamgebelis, or heads of municipalities, and about 2,500 members of 71 local councils.

16,190 registered

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Voting goes smoothly in Georgia's local election

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“I call on every politician to make today a victory for democracy,” said President Giorgi Margvelashvili after casting his vote in Tbilisi. (DF Watch.)

TBILISI, DFWatch-Voting went smoothly Sunday in Georgia’s local election. 517,123 people had voted by noon, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). This is 16 percent of registered voters.

ISFED said 98.7% of precincts were ready to receive voters

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Two of Georgian president's top people left

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Vano Machavariani, foreign policy adviser to the Georgian president, left his job Friday. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian president’s foreign policy adviser Vano Machavariani left his job on Friday. The head of the president’s administration, Lasha Abashidze, also resigned.

Both delivered a written resignation, but Machavariani told

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561 foreign observers for Georgia's local election

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Tamar Zhvania, head of Georgia’s Central Election Commission. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–There will be 32 international and 59 Georgian organizations observing the local election on Sunday, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The CEC said the number of representatives of Georgian organizations

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Government's candidate in Marneuli confirms withdrawal

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Merab Topchishvili confirmed that he is withdrawing as candidate for gamgebeli in Marneuli. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A candidate for Georgia’s governing coalition in a town south of the capital has announced that he is withdrawing from tomorrow’s local election. The coalition earlier said he would withdraw.

Merab Topchishvili was Georgian Dream’s candidate

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Barroso: Georgia doesn't have to choose between East and West

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President of the EU Commission, José Manuel Barroso (left), and Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Official photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso Thursday arrived in Georgia on the second leg of his visit to countries on Russia’s southwestern perimeter.

Barroso said the Association Agreement Georgia is to sign on June 27 is not ‘exclusive’,

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Government coalition withdraws its candidate in Marneuli

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Georgian Dream has withdrawn Merab Topchishvili (pictured) from the election for gamgebeli in Marneuli. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Dream coalition on Thursday withdrew its candidate for gamgebeli in Marneuli in Sunday’s local election, explaining that it was necessary in order to avoid making it into a purely ethnic vote.

The National Movement is running with an

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