Nine candidates have applied to Central Election Commission (CEC) for registration to run for Tbilisi mayoral race; deadline expired at 6pm local time on April 30.

Contenders include incumbent Tbilisi mayor, Gigi Ugulava, nominated by the ruling party; Irakli Alasania, leader of Alliance for Georgia; Giorgi Chanturia, nominated by Christian-Democratic Movement; Gogi Topadze, co-founder and leader of Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists); Zviad Dzidziguri, leader of Conservative Party, nominated by a coalition, which also includes Party of People and ex-PM Zurab Nogaideli’s Movement for Fair Georgia; Davit Iakobidze, economy minister in mid-90s, nominated by MP Gia Tortladze’s Democratic Party of Georgia; Nika Ivanishvili, head of traffic police in late 90s, nominated by his newly established party; Tamaz Vashadze, who briefly held Tbilisi mayor’s post 19 years ago and Giorgi Lagidze, leader of little-known party Future Georgia.

Deadline for submitting list of candidates running for Tbilisi City Council membership also expired on April 30.

Total of 11 parties and three election blocs submitted list of candidates for capital city’s council membership.

Although initially applied to CEC for registration, ex-defense minister Irakli Okruashvili’s party Movement for United Georgia and MP Jondi Bagaturia’s party, Georgian Troupe, decided not to run in the elections. Three other parties, which initial requested for registration, withdrew from the race, as they did not submit list of candidates for Tbilisi City Council membership.