TBILISI, October 23 – Tbilisi has officially launched a tender for the design and construction of its first modern tram line in decades, a major step toward reintroducing electric streetcars to the Georgian capital. Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced Thursday that the new line will connect the rapidly growing Didi Dighomi residential district with the central … Read more
TBILISI, October 9 – The Georgian capital is set to expand its metro network for the first time in years, with two new deep-level stations planned in Gldani and Varketili, Mayor Kakha Kaladze said Wednesday, affirming a promise he made ahead of being re-elected. The project, aimed at easing congestion and meeting surging passenger demand, … Read more
TBILISI, October 5 – Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has secured a decisive victory in Georgia’s local elections, winning 71.6% of the vote according to preliminary results released by the Central Election Commission (CEC). With 581 out of 584 polling stations counted, covering 99.5% of the city’s precincts, Kaladze, the candidate of the ruling Georgian Dream … Read more
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, 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 … Read more
TBILISI, October 2 – Shortly before the municipal election, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has unveiled plans to build what he described as a “grand amusement park” on the grounds of the city’s dendrological park by Tbilisi Sea, the large reservoir on the capital’s outskirts. Kaladze said the project would be unprecedented in Georgia and across … Read more
TBILISI, September 25 – Kakha Kaladze, the ruling Georgian Dream party’s candidate for Tbilisi mayor, told voters in Saburtalo that Georgia’s independence was won “with blood and struggle” and must still be defended every day. Speaking under the campaign slogan “Peace for Georgia, more good for Tbilisi,” Kaladze argued that his party has kept the … Read more
TBILISI, September 18 – Tbilisi is taking another step toward cleaner and more efficient public transport with the rollout of 200 brand-new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. The city government unveiled the 18-meter MAN buses this week, calling the move part of a wider push to reduce congestion and promote environmentally friendly transport in Georgia’s … Read more
TBILISI, September 15 – Tensions in Georgia’s capital flared this weekend after police detained a prominent opposition leader over an act of vandalism targeting the ruling party’s mayoral campaign. Elene Khoshtaria, one of the leaders of the opposition Coalition for Change, was taken into custody outside her home, according to local media. Authorities said her … Read more
TBILISI, September 9 – Clashes last night outside the campaign office of Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, was political violence, a rights group said. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association reported that GD supporters armed with iron rods attacked peaceful protesters and journalists near Hotel Georgia. Videos showed demonstrators beaten, … Read more