GD ruling party says ex-PM Gakharia ‘was trading’ with his nomination for Tbilisi mayor

The head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze says that the country’s former PM under GD Giorgi Gakharia had an attempt to receive money from the party if he refused to run for Tbilisi mayor. 

 

Kobakhidze said that Gakharia, who announced he will fight for Tbilisi mayor yesterday in the October 2 municipal elections, used a mediator in the process. However, the GD and the party’s candidate for Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze refused the offer. 

 

Kobakhidze and other GD members have stated that they ‘will not make any deals with traitor Gakharia.’ 

 

Gakharia has responded that Kobakhidze told a lie and once again tried to discredit him and his party For Georgia’s 

 

Gakharia resigned and left the ruling party back in February 2021 because of controversies with the GD leadership on the topic of the United National Movement opposition party head Nika Melia. 

 

Gakharia stated that Melia’s arrest that time for his charges linked with violence during June 2019 protests would have further complicated the political crisis in the county which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections. 

 

The GD leadership said that Gakharia’s position was ‘against the rule of law’ and that he betrayed the party and the state. 

 

Gakharia launched the For Georgia political party in May 2021 and is participating in the upcoming municipal elections.