Tbilisi City Assembly

Lawmaking body of Tbilisi, Georgia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Tbilisi Sakrebulo (Georgian: თბილისის საკრებულო, romanized: tbilisis sak'rebulo), is a representative body in the city government of Tbilisi, Georgia. It is also known in English as the Tbilisi City Council or Tbilisi Assembly.

Assembly building in the 19th century.
Chairperson
Giorgi Tkemaladze
Seats50
Political groups
Majority (45)
  •   Georgian Dream (45)

Opposition (5)

Quick facts Tbilisi City Assembly თბილისის საკრებულო, Type ...
Tbilisi City Assembly

თბილისის საკრებულო
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Chairperson
Giorgi Tkemaladze
Structure
Seats50
Political groups
Majority (45)
  •   Georgian Dream (45)

Opposition (5)

Elections
Mixed-member proportional representation (2005-present)

Party-list proportional representation (1998-2005)

Single transferable vote (1991-1998)
Last election
October 4, 2025
Next election
2029
Meeting place
Tbilisi Assembly Building
Tbilisi
Website
http://tbsakrebulo.gov.ge/?lng=eng
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History

Sakrebulos were established as the representative branch of local government not only in Tbilisi, but throughout Georgia, by reforms instituted in 1991 as the country declared independence from the Soviet Union.[1] The first elections to sakrebulos was held on 31 March 1991. According to the 1991 legislation on self-governance, it was exercised in Tbilisi on two levels. Thus, there was Tbilisi sakrebulo to represent entire city, as well as rayon sakrebulos and each Tbilisi rayon (district) elected its own sakrebulo. Only these rayon sakrebulos were elected, while the Tbilisi Sakrebulo was composed of the chairmen and representatives of Tbilisi's rayon sakrebulos. Tbilisi had ten rayons and one daba (Tskneti), all of which had their rayon sakrebulos.[2] The elections were held with the single transferable vote system, which resulted in the broad representation of the opposition. The ruling Round Table coalition secured the victory and a majority of seats. The turnout was high, although this was more likely because the elections were held in parallel to the 1991 Georgian independence referendum rather than due to increased interest in the local self-government.[3]

The municipal councils ceased functioning following the 1991–1992 Georgian coup d'état. The local self-government was only re-established in 1998. The new law "On the Georgian Capital – Tbilisi" was passed by the Georgian parliament. The members of Tbilisi sakrebulo were elected through a fully proportional representation in 1998 and 2002.[3][4] The Sakrebulo elections gained high importance because of their proximity to the parliamentary elections, with the parties seeing victory in the local elections as a bridgehead for the success in the parliamentary polls. The Tbilisi sakrebulo served both as a platform to challenge members of the very corrupt government of President Eduard Shevardnadze, as well as to pursue private mercantile interests too, with many of its members themselves being noticeably corrupt.[5] The 1998 Tbilisi Sakrebulo elections resulted in the significant success for the opposition, with the ruling Union of Citizens, despite finishing on the 1st place, being unable to secure majority of seats and the opposition Labour Party member Lado Kakhadze being elected to the chairmanship of sakrebulo. However, both in Tbilisi sakrebulo and others, its oppositionist members soon discovered that they did not have enough administrative resources compared to the centrally-appointed executive bodies. Moreover, many of oppositionist deputies were co-opted by the ruling party, and the success of the opposition soon made a u-turn, especially in Tbilisi. Lado Kakhadze himself soon left the Labour Party and joined the Union of Citizens. Therefore, the relative success of the opposition in the local elections did not preclude the ruling party from achieving a decisive victory in the 1999 Georgian parliamentary election.[6][7]

Composition

The members of the Sakrebulo are selected through a mixed electoral system. Of the 50 deputies, 25 are elected through party lists, while the remaining 25 through single-mandate constituencies.

Main Hall, 19th century

Powers

In accordance with the Code of Local Self-Government of the Organic Law of Georgia, the Sakrebulo exercises its powers to define the administrative-territorial organization of the municipality and its identity, organizational activities, determination of the personnel policy of the municipality, regulation and control of the activities of executive bodies; In the fields of municipal property management, social, amenities and household utilities, land use and natural resources use, municipal territory planning, transport and road economy, accounting, support for innovative development and informatization.[8]

The authority of the Sakrebulo in the field of administrative-territorial organization of the municipality and defining its identity includes:

  • Creation and abolition of administrative units in the municipality, change of their borders
  • Establishment of local self-government symbols - coat of arms, flag and other symbols and make changes in them
  • establish the rules for the introduction of honorary titles and awards of the self-governing unit and their award
  • names of geographical objects, Establishing the rule of numbering of buildings in the settlements
  • Making a decision on creating, joining or leaving a non-profit (non-commercial) legal entity together with other self-governing units.
  • approval of the socio-economic development strategy of the self-governing unit
  • approval of measures and programs to be taken to attract investments and support innovative development in the territory of the municipality[8]

Election results

The most recent city council election was held on October 4, 2025, and the results were as follows:

More information Party, Votes ...
Party Votes % Seats +/– Government
Proportional Constituency Total
Georgian Dream 212,716 70.22 20 25 45 Increase 16 Government
Strong Georgia[a] 30,364 10.02 2 0 2 Steady Opposition
New Political Centre – Girchi 22,649 7.48 2 0 2 Increase 2 Opposition
Conservatives for Georgia 13,097 4.32 1 0 1 New Opposition
For Georgia 9,653 3.19 0 0 0 Decrease 4 Extra-parliamentary
Alliance of Patriots 3,228 1.07 0 0 0 Steady Extra-parliamentary
Homeland, Language, Faith 3,083 1.02 0 0 0 New Extra-parliamentary
Other 8,159 2.69 0 0 0 Extra-parliamentary
Total 302,383 100.0 25 25 50
Source: ,
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Previous election results

2021

More information Party, Lead candidate ...
Party Lead candidate Votes % +/– Seats +/– Government
Georgian Dream Levan Zhorzholiani 193 486 40.40 Decrease 12.75 29 Decrease 10 Government
National Movement Sopio Japaridze 133 926 27.96 Increase 10.30 13 Increase 8 Opposition
For Georgia Levan Dolidze 42 596 8.89 New 4 New Opposition
Lelo Badri Japaridze 17 373 3.63 New 2 New Opposition
Girchi - More Freedom Tengiz Kirtadze 15 799 3.30 New 1 New Opposition
For the People Aleksandre Ratishvili 12 337 2.58 New 1 New Opposition
Citizens Patman Barjadze 11 743 2.45 New 0 New Extra-parliamentary
Droa Elene Khoshtaria 10 262 2.14 New 0 New Extra-parliamentary
Alliance of Patriots Gocha Tevdoradze 7 915 1.65 Decrease 3.97 0 Decrease 2 Extra-parliamentary
New Political Center - Girchi Herman Szabo 7 695 1.61 New 0 New Extra-parliamentary
Labour Party Lasha Chkhartishvili 6 293 1.31 Decrease 2.59 0 Steady Extra-parliamentary
European Georgia Giorgi Noniashvili 5 575 1.16 Decrease 8.02 0 Decrease 3 Extra-parliamentary
Strategy Aghmashenebeli Sergo Chikhladze 4 817 1.01 Decrease 2.43 0 Steady Extra-parliamentary
Other 9 133 1.91 Extra-parliamentary
Total 50 ±
Electorate/voter turnout
Source:
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2017

More information Party, Votes ...
Party Votes % Seats +/– Government
Georgian Dream 205,994 53.15 39 Increase 12 Government
National Movement 68,432 17.66 5 Decrease 2 Opposition
European Georgia 35,586 9.18 3 New Opposition
Alliance of Patriots 21,775 5.62 2 Steady Opposition
Labour Party 15,112 3.90 0 Steady Extra-parliamentary
Strategy Aghmashenebeli 13,350 3.44 0 New Extra-parliamentary
Democratic Movement 12,321 3.18 0 Decrease 3 Extra-parliamentary
Republican Party 6,229 1.61 0 Steady Extra-parliamentary
Total 411,847 100.0 50
Source: [permanent dead link]
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2014

More information Party, Votes ...
Party Votes % Seats +/– Government
Georgian Dream 151,269 46.01 27 New Government
National Movement 85,858 26.11 7 Decrease 32 Opposition
United Opposition[b] 34 026 10.35 3 Steady Opposition
Alliance of Patriots 20,890 6.35 2 New Opposition
Independent 1 Opposition
Total 343,582 100.0 40
Source: Archived 27 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine
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2010

More information Party, Votes ...
Party Votes % Seats +/– Government
National Movement 234,150 52.5 39 Increase 5 Government
Alliance for Georgia[c] 80,166 17.97 5 Increase 4 Opposition
Christian-Democratic Movement 53,748 12.05 3 New Opposition
United National Council[d] 36,850 8.26 2 Increase 1 Opposition
Industry Will Save Georgia 27,791 6.23 1 Steady Opposition
Source:
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2006

More information Party, Votes ...
Party Votes % Seats +/– Government
Proportional Constituency Total
National Movement 204 261 66.53 9 25 34 Increase 20 Government
RPG-CPG bloc 36 973 12.04 1 0 1 New Opposition
Labour Party 32 701 10.65 1 0 1 Decrease 14 Opposition
ISWG 18 671 6.08 1 0 1 Decrease 3 Opposition
The Way of Georgia 8 512 2.77 0 0 0 New Extra-parliamentary
PGNI 74 0.02 0 0 0 New Extra-parliamentary
Total 307 015 100 37 ±
Electorate/voter turnout 883 806 34.74
Source: ,
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2002

More information Party, Votes ...
Party Votes % Seats +/– Government
National Movement 66 256 23.75 14 New Government[9]
Labour Party 71 145 25.5 15 Increase 3 Confidence and supply[9][10]
Christian Conservative Party 20 284 7.27 4 New
Unity 11 516 4.13 2 New
New Rights 31 695 11.36 7 New Opposition
Industry Will Save Georgia 19 898 7.13 4 New Opposition
Revival - XXI bloc 17 682 6.34 3 Decrease 1 Opposition
Socialist Party 7 934 2.58 0 Decrease 9 Extra-parliamentary
Union of Citizens 6 733 2.37 0 Decrease 20 Extra-parliamentary
Total 283 855 100 49 ±
Electorate/voter turnout 634 257 44.75
Source:
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1998

More information Party, Votes ...
Party Votes % Seats +/– Government
Labour Party 46 206 17.90 12 New Government[11]
Union of Citizens 77 286 29.94 20 New Opposition
Socialist Party 32 685 12.66 9 New Opposition
Party of the People 19 100 7.40 4 New Opposition
Democratic Union for Revival 18 116 7.02 4 New Opposition
National Democratic Party 17152 6.65 3 New Opposition
Union of Georgian Traditionalists 15 710 6.09 3 New Opposition
Athletic Georgia 5 238 2.03 0 New Extra-parliamentary
Merab Kostava Society 4 150 1.61 0 New Extra-parliamentary
Total 258 095 100 55 ±
Electorate/voter turnout 664 273 38.85
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See also

Explanatory notes

  1. A coalition consisting of the Lelo for Georgia and Citizens.
  2. A coalition of Conservative Party, Movement for a Fair Georgia and People's Party.

References

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