President Saakashvili will set May 30 as the date of local elections, the President’s administration reiterated on February 6.

In order to enable all political parties and first and foremost the opposition parties to get ready for the elections and to plan their election campaigns better, the President appeals the legislative body to adopt a law in time and to directly write in the law that local elections, including Tbilisi Mayor’s direct elections, will be held on May 30,” Manana Manjgaladze, the President’s spokesperson, said.

President Saakashvili first offered to hold local elections on May 30, 2010, instead of originally planned autumn, 2010 during his address to the Parliament in July, 2009. But no date has been formally set since then.
 
A draft of constitutional amendment, which has yet to be approved by the Parliament with three readings, was submitted to the legislative body, which envisages holding of the local elections before June 1, 2010; the draft does not set a specific date.

According to the law, it is up to the President to set a specific date and he should do so not later than 60 days before the elections.

President’s spokesperson also said on February 6, that Saakashvili “welcomes the opposition’s engagement in the pre-election process”, referring to their participation in the process of rechecking voters’ lists.

“They will actively be involved in this process that confirms the transparency of the election process and this is the major demand and order of the society,” the spokesperson said.