Ex-president Margvelashvili to vote for opposition in municipal election run-offs

The ex-president of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili has told the opposition-minded TV channel Formula yesterday, that he will vote for the opposition in the municipal election run-offs on October 30.

 

Margvelashvili stated that from the two remaining candidates for the Tbilisi Mayoral race, Kakha Kaladze from the Georgian Dream ruling party and Nika Melia from the united opposition (the United National movement and three other parties), he would throw his vote behind Melia.

 

Margvelashvili called on voters to participate in the municipal election runoffs and support the opposition not because they like or dislike them, but to suspend the poor running of the country by the Georgian Dream government. 

 

“I will vote for the opposition, because the ruling party is corrupt and actions must be taken to stop them from stealing money from people. Strong opposition is needed,” said Margvelashvili

 

On October 30, the municipal election run-offs will be held in 20 of 64 mayoral and majoritarian constituencies in which the ruling party and the UNM candidates will compete in 17of the 20 constituencies. 

 

All the remaining 44 constituencies were won by the ruling party candidates in the first round of elections on October 2.

 

Margvelashvili served as Georgia’s  fourth president between 2013 and 2018. 

 

He was nominated by the Georgian Dream ruling party for the role. However, shortly after taking the post, a controversy emerged between him and the founder of the Georgian Dream Bidzina Ivanishvili. 

 

Margvelashvili claimed he refused to act in the way Ivanishvili wanted from him.