The ruling Georgian Dream party (GD) have nominated the incumbent Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze as their candidate to seek a third term in the Caucasus country’s upcoming local elections, which are scheduled for October 4, local outlets reported.

The official nomination was announced on July 31 during a public ceremony in Tbilisi’s Mtatsminda Park, which was attended by the ruling party’s top officials, including GD’s elusive founder and honorary Chair, the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.

“Today, we could have nominated just a good politician, a capable leader, or a dedicated patriot. But instead, we are presenting a true champion — both literally and figuratively,” declared Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze from on stage, alluding to Kaladze’s former career as a footballer for Tbilisi’s Dinamo City side, Dinamo Kiev, AC Milan, and Genoa.

This will be Kaladze’s third consecutive run for the post of Tbilisi mayor, having been first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021.

During a speech at the July 31 ceremony, GD candidate revealed his campaign motto – ‘Peace to Georgia, more goodness to Tbilisi’, a slogan which Kaladze declared reflects Georgians’ pride that “in a world fraught with challenges, our country and capital remain an island of peace”.

During their campaign in the run-up to Georgia’s October 2024 parliamentary election, GD framed themselves as the party capable of retaining peace in Georgia, as opposed to the opposition, which the party continue to claim intends to drag the country into conflict with Russia under instruction from the so-called “Global War Party”.                                                            

A divided front

The build-up to the October municipal election has been marked by intense dispute, as GD has moved to eliminate all political opponents.

Eight high-profile pro-Western opposition leaders have been jailed in recent months, all charged with failing to appear before GD’s controversial parliamentary commission to probe alleged “crimes” committed by the former-ruling United National Movement government.

Nine of Georgia’s pro-Western opposition parties – united as a Resistance Platform under the leadership of Georgia’s fifth President, Salome Zourabichvili – have vowed to boycott the October 4 vote.

These parties view “non-cooperation” with the “GD regime” as the only viable path to victory and insist that participation in the local elections would grant a façade of legitimacy to the GD government.

Meanwhile, two major opposition coalitions, Lelo and Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia, have announced they will run, and on July 14, agreed to form a pact to present a joint mayoral candidate.

Those running are presenting the vote as an opportunity to rally support, unite, and perhaps even win back the capital, Tbilisi, where protests have taken place every night since GD announced on November 28 that they were suspending Georgia’s EU membership bid.

On July 4, the GD-elected Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili offered the jailed opposition leaders their freedom in exchange for their pledge to participate in the October vote, though none of the eight accepted.

Several opposition members have declared October 4 the make-or-break moment for Georgia’s ongoing anti-government protest movement.

World-famous opera singer and Resistance Platform member, Paata Burchuladze, has called for a national protest on Tbilisi’s Republic Square, and has declared October 4 the day of “the peaceful overthrow of Ivanishvili” and of “historic victory”.