TBILISI, October 3 – With just two days to go before Georgia’s local elections, mayoral candidates in Tbilisi went head-to-head in a fiery televised debate Thursday night that showcased the country’s deep political divides. The debate, broadcast on the public broadcaster’s Channel 1, brought together nine registered candidates, including incumbent mayor and ruling Georgian Dream … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – The opposition Lelo party says it will deploy cameras at every voting precinct in Tbilisi so that no one can vote at a station where they are not registered. The party’s mayoral candidate, Irakli Kupradze, said they expect the October 4 vote will not be fair and vowed to “fight on … Read more
TBILISI, September 18 – Georgian opposition leaders are turning to Europe for support ahead of the country’s heated municipal elections. On Thursday, Mamuka Khazaradze, chairman of the Lelo coalition, and joint opposition mayoral candidate Irakli Kupradze met with Brussels Mayor Philippe Close in the Belgian capital. They were joined by their campaign chief, Tazo Datunashvili. … Read more
TBILISI, September 1 – Two of Georgia’s opposition parties stepped up their campaigning efforts Monday, accusing the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) government of neglecting basic needs in the capital while spending lavishly on prestige projects. At a rally in Mtatsminda district, Aleko Elisashvili, running for deputy mayor for the joint ticket of Lelo and For … Read more
TBILISI, August 31 – Irakli Kupradze, a candidate for mayor of Tbilisi, has been meeting residents in the city’s Samgori and Varketili districts. His campaign team, backed by two pro-EU opposition parties, said he was out meeting people in order to listen directly to their everyday problems. Kupradze pledged that, if elected, addressing these local … Read more
TBILISI, August 18 – Two Georgian opposition parties, Lelo and For Georgia, have named Irakli Kupradze as their joint candidate for Tbilisi mayor in the October 4 local elections. Giorgi Sharashidze was presented as candidate for chairman of the City Council, while Aleko Elisashvili and Tata Khvedeliani were put forward as deputy mayoral candidates. The … Read more
TBILISI, August 6 – An opposition party in Georgia says its bank account has been seized, in what it claims is political retaliation linked to the scandal surrounding Germany’s ambassador. Lelo party secretary general Irakli Kupradze said the National Bureau of Enforcement, under the Ministry of Justice, had notified the party of the freeze. He … Read more