Speaking at the opening ceremony of a hydropower plant on June 24 in Shuakhevi, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili hinted on the possible mayoral candidacy of Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze in Tbilisi, saying he has done “a lot of very important projects” during his tenure.

“I would like to give the floor to the man, who has very interesting political plans … I would also like to thank him for a very productive work at the post of the Energy Minister and wish him success, which I personally and our team are convinced of,” Kvirikashvili added.

Kakha Kaladze, former footballer who won UEFA Champions League with AC Milan twice, joined the then-opposition Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia in 2011, leading the party list of the Georgian Dream coalition in the 2012 parliamentary polls.  Kaladze was elected in the new Parliament after winning a majoritarian race in his native Samtredia constituency in western Georgia. Shortly after the elections, he was appointed the Energy Minister.