Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of the opposition coalition Georgian Dream, named on July 17 his coalition’s majoritarian candidates for twelve single-mandate constituencies, including for Adjara region, and said that other remaining candidates, including for Tbilisi’s ten constituencies, would be named on Thursday.

A former Republican Party member, Murman Dumbadze, was named as a majoritarian MP candidate in Adjara’s main town of Batumi. Republican Party, which is now a member of Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream coalition, sacked Dumbadze from its ranks more than a year ago after he, without authorization from his party, organized a protest rally against yet to be signed deal between Georgia and Turkey on rebuilding of an old mosque in Batumi in exchange for reconstruction of several medieval Georgian Orthodox churches now located on the territory of Turkey. Dumbadze, a strong opponent of the potential deal, was then embroiled in a fierce confrontation with head of Republican Party’s local branch in Batumi, Giorgi Masalkin, whom Dumbadze attacked with use of ethnic slur; later Dumbadze had to apologize.

Ivanishvili also said on Tuesday that his coalition would hold an outdoor rally in Batumi on August 5.

Georgian Dream nominated in Kobuleti Pati Khalvashi; she is a sister of Kibar Khalvashi, an exiled businessman and a close friend of ex-defense minister Irakli Okruashvili. A former judge Davit Ananidze will run in the Keda single-mandate constituency. Zia Saginadze, who once served as a local police chief in Khulo, will run in the Khulo single-mandate constituency. Rostom Khalvashi will run in Khelvachauri.

Shota Zoidze will run in Shuakhevi constituency; he run as a majoritarian candidate for now defunct party Georgian Politics in Batumi single-mandate constituency during the 2008 parliamentary elections, but garnered only 0.9% of votes.

In other nominations also made on July 17, Ivanishvili named Manana Berikashvili, a daughter of a prominent actor Givi Berikashvili, as a majoritarian MP candidate in Gurjaani of Kakheti region. Also in Kakheti region, Gela Samkharauli, describing himself as a wine export consultant, will run in Telavi constituency.

Eka Beselia, who is in politics since 2007 and has recently acted as one of Ivanishvili’s aides in legal issues, will run in port town of Poti in Samegrelo region. Irakli Sabulua of Our Georgia-Free Democrats party will run in Abasha and a writer Guram Odisharia of Ivanishvili’s party was named in Senaki constituency. Gia Gazdeliani will run in Racha-Lechkhumi region’s Lentekhi single-mandate constituency.