Day: August 11, 2025

The ruling Georgian Dream party named its mayoral candidates for all 63 municipalities ahead of the local elections, set to take place on October 4 amid the boycott from part of opposition forces.

Speaking as party leader at the August 11 briefing, GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said most of the candidates are incumbent or acting mayors. The remaining nominees come from a diverse mix of political, civil service, media, and business backgrounds.

Earlier, GD separately endorsed incumbent Kakha Kaladze to seek a third term as Tbilisi Mayor. With the registration deadline passing on August 8, seventeen political parties, less than half the number that registered for the 2021 municipal elections, have signed up to participate in the upcoming vote. Nine parties, including those from major opposition alliances that took part in last October’s parliamentary elections, are boycotting the elections, with the vote taking place amid ongoing repression, legislative crackdowns on opposition, jailings of political leaders, and a lack of international observation.

Below is the list of Georgian Dream’s mayoral nominees, organized by regions:

Kakheti (5 incumbents of 8)

• Akhmeta – Alex Pitskhelauri (incumbent)
• Gurjaani – Giorgi Machavariani (incumbent)
• Dedoplistskaro – Nikoloz Janiashvili (incumbent)
• Lagodekhi – Jondo Mdivnishvili (incumbent)
• Sighnaghi – Malkhaz Begiashvili (incumbent)
• Kvareli – Ilia Mzekalashvili, acting chair of Kvareli City Council
• Sagarejo – Vakhtang Kakutashvili, Defense Ministry staffer
• Telavi – Vazha Maghradze, deputy Kakheti district prosecutor

Kvemo Kartli (4 incumbents of 7)

• Rustavi – Nino Latsabidze (incumbent)
• Gardabani – Davit Kargareteli (incumbent)
• Dmanisi – Koba Muradashvili (incumbent)
• Tsalka – Ilia Sabadze (incumbent)
• Marneuli – Dauri Ismailov, civil servant
• Tetritskaro – Mikheil Aptsiauri, deputy chair of Tetritskaro City Council
• Bolnisi – Zamuri Chitanava, lawyer and civil servant

Mtskheta-Mtianeti

• Tianeti – Levan Tsiklauri (incumbent)
• Mtskheta – Gogi Abuashvili, architect and manager
• Dusheti – Kakhaber Chitauri, Dusheti City Council chair
• Kazbegi – Koba Geladze, engineer and manager

Shida Kartli (3 incumbents of 4)

• Gori – Konstantine Buzaladze (incumbent)
• Kareli – Zaza Guliashvili (incumbent)
• Kaspi – Vakhtang Maisuradze (incumbent)
• Khashuri – Paata Chaduneli, manager in private sector

Samtskhe-Javakheti

• Adigeni – Gocha Kimadze (incumbent)
• Aspindza – Rostom Magrakvelidze (incumbent)
• Akhalkalaki – Melkon Makariani (incumbent)
• Ninotsminda – Anivard Mosoyan (incumbent)
• Akhaltsikhe – Varlam Tsiklauri, journalist at pro-government Imedi TV
• Borjomi – Mamuka Gelashvili, law enforcement official

Imereti

• Kutaisi – Davit Eremeishvili (incumbent)
• Sachkhere – Levan Ivanashvili (incumbent)
• Chiatura – Givi Modebadze (incumbent)
• Kharagauli – Koba Lursmanashvili (incumbent)
• Terjola – Manuchar Robakidze (incumbent)
• Vani – Aleksandre Gogorishvili (incumbent)
• Samtredia – Davit Bakhtadze (incumbent)
• Khoni – Lado Jurkhadze (incumbent)
• Tskaltubo – Genadi Balanchivadze (incumbent)
• Bagdati – Nodar Giorgidze, Baghdati City Council chair
• Zestaponi – Vakhtang Ghambashidze, Zestaponi City Council chair
• Tkibuli – Davit Kublashvili, local party organization leader

Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti

• Tsageri – Chabuki Chabukiani (incumbent)
• Lentekhi – Giorgi Gazdeliani (incumbent)
• Ambrolauri – Zaza Kevanishvili, entrepreneur
• Oni – Davit Lobzhanidze, entrepreneur

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti (5 incumbents of 9)

• Poti – Beka Vacharadze (incumbent)
• Khobi – Davit Bukia (incumbent)
• Senaki – Vakhtang Gadelia (incumbent)
• Abasha – Giga Gabelaia (incumbent)
• Mestia – Kapiton Zhorzholiani (incumbent)
• Zugdidi – Dato Kodua, incumbent GD MP
• Chkhorotskhu – Jumber Izoria, former MP
• Martvili – Giorgi Nachkebia, entrepreneur
• Tsalenjikha – Nika Kankia, civil servant

Guria

• Lanchkhuti – Alexander Sarishvili (incumbent)
• Ozurgeti – Paata Kunchulia, lecturer and manager
• Chokhatauri – Mindia Zhgeria, deputy mayor

Adjara

• Kobuleti – Irakli Tsetskhladze (incumbent)
• Khelvachauri – Zaza Diasamidze (incumbent)
• Shuakhevi – Omar Takidze (incumbent)
• Keda – Mamuka Turmanidze, Adjara Autonomous Republic Supreme Council deputy
• Khulo – Vakhtang Beridze, Adjara Autonomous Republic Supreme Council deputy
• Batumi – Giorgi Tsintsadze, head of the Adjara government administration

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Also Read:

• 14/07/2025 – Lelo, Gakharia’s For Georgia Agree to Cooperate for Local Elections
• 08/07/2025 – ODIHR Regrets GD Government’s ‘Stated Intention’ Not to Invite Monitoring Mission
• 05/07/2025 – Lelo/Strong Georgia to Run in October Local Elections, Three Senior Members Dissent
• 17/06/2025 – Treason or Opportunity – Opposition Squabbles over Municipal Elections
• 12/06/2025 – ODIHR: We Have Not Received Invitation to Observe Local Elections in Georgia
• 30/04/2025 – Local Elections: New Divisive Issue for Opposition

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The European Union will provide Ukraine with an additional 1.6 billion euros. The funds were generated from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets, according to the European Commission’s press service, Report informs.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released its Food Price Index for July 2025, showing a moderate monthly increase in global food prices, Azernews reports, citing the FAO.

From January to July 2025, the taxpayer service centers operating under the State Tax Service of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic’s Ministry of Economy received a total of 27,552 individuals, Azernews reports, citing the official data.

Fatima Movlamli’s letter from prison

Azerbaijani journalist Fatima Movlamli, detained as part of the Meydan TV case, wrote from prison about her reflections on the recent “historical peace meeting” in Washington.

“Biden’s anti-Azerbaijani narratives debunked” — Ilham Aliyev on the results of the Washington meeting

“If the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed to initial a peace treaty at the White House, we can consider that lasting peace has already come to our region”

Here is the full text of Fatima Movlamli’s letter from prison.

Let me say from the outset that any step towards peace makes me happy. The war, used for years as a tool of pressure against both peoples, should have ended long ago – and those who said so should never have been branded “traitors to the homeland”.

On 8 August, I followed closely the ceremony attended by all three presidents, and especially the press conference. Beyond the event’s content, I was curious about something else: who would speak there on behalf of the Azerbaijani media, and what question would they ask? As a journalist from a country where independent reporters are jailed on trumped-up charges, I wondered what would be at the heart of a question from someone who had the means to attend.

Soon the reporter from the Report news agency took the floor – but their “question” simply wasn’t there. It seemed that, unlike other times, they hadn’t been sent a pre-written text from the administration to recite and circulate, as pro-government outlets usually do.

After the journalist spoke, my cellmate asked: “What is he even talking about?” I replied: “We’re not alone – even Trump didn’t understand what he said.”

The most telling moment came when Ilham Aliyev intervened. Like a parent speaking for a stammering child, he took over and tried to “translate” his aide’s “question”. But there was no question in the first place. So the best he could manage was: “He’s saying, will you visit us?”

After the Washington meeting: agreement on the Zangezur corridor and opposing views

At a trilateral meeting in Washington brokered by US President Donald Trump, a full peace deal was not reached, and the agreed route drew criticism from Russia and Iran.

It was like falling into a pit you’ve dug yourself. When you jail independent journalists who speak with weight and authority, and instead hand the stage to those who need permission for every word, who angle for free apartments, titles and praise from the government – what else can you expect? Of course that journalist would stumble. And of course it had to happen at that very meeting. (I enjoy life’s little ironies like that.)

Did you notice how one journalist asked whether one side might back down – and got an answer from all three leaders? The curiosity and tension that question created laid bare the difference between an independent journalist and a subservient scribe.

As for me, I sadly couldn’t be there. First, because the road from Kurdakhani to Washington is rather long – and besides, I don’t have a visa.

But I can still ask my question from here:

So, what about making peace with your own citizens? You and those around you plunder the nation’s wealth, your police beat people, your investigators work to order, and citizens live in fear of a baton crashing down on their heads. Journalists who expose these truths are jailed as “smugglers”.

So, Aliyev – will there be peace, real peace?

Fatima Movlamli
Baku Pretrial Detention Centre

News in Azerbaijan