TBILISI, October 2 – A leading opposition candidate in Georgia’s upcoming local elections has accused the city’s leadership of endangering one of Tbilisi’s last major urban forests by failing to secure it against commercial development.
Giorgi Sharashidze, a candidate for Tbilisi City Council chairperson with the For Georgia party, said the Digomi Forest Park, a 130-hectare green zone in the capital’s north, is at “real risk” because a section of the land still carries a commercial zoning status.
“This is a unique recreational zone, a true forest in the city center. For Digomi residents, and for a large part of Tbilisi, this park is their lungs. Any type of construction here is unacceptable,” Sharashidze told reporters. He argued that the current administration, led by Mayor Kakha Kaladze of the ruling Georgian Dream party, had failed during his eight years in office to reclassify the disputed 15,300 square meters back to recreational use.
Sharashidze warned that unless the status is changed, the land could one day be used for private development, permanently altering the park’s character. He urged the city to buy back the parcels from private owners or arrange swaps to protect the forest’s integrity.
The For Georgia party, founded by former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia, has pledged to reclaim recreational spaces from private hands and restore them fully to public use.
Kaladze, who is seeking re-election on Saturday, has defended his record on urban development, pointing to tree planting campaigns and promises of new parks. His supporters argue that the administration has expanded green zones, while critics say key areas remain vulnerable to construction.
