Tbilisi City Council approved on October 29 a municipality proposal to divide the capital city’s six districts into thirty smaller sub-districts.

“The cornerstone of this new administrative division is to listen to the Tbilisites in all districts and manage to reach out to all the residents… and better address their problems,” Gigi Ugulava told City Council members on October 29.

Irakli Alasania, leader of opposition Alliance for Georgia, who plans to run for the Tbilisi mayoral office, said the authorities move aimed at upcoming local elections. He said while responding to questions on one of the Georgian internet discussion forums on October 29, that the authorities were trying “to mobilize administrative resources” ahead of the polls. President Saakashvili offered to hold local self-governance elections on May 30, 2010, but the date has not been yet officially set.

Opposition member of the City Council from the Labor Party, Paata Jibladze, criticized the new administrative division of the capital city saying that it would further increase administrative costs of the municipality.

According to the proposal new posts of head and deputy head of a sub-district will be created and the positions will be occupied by local residents of a given sub-district.

It is not yet clear whether the electoral districts will also be established based on this new administrative division.