“Lelo” and the “Gakharia for Georgia” party do not confirm the information that their candidate for Tbilisi mayor will be Aleko Elisashvili, who is reportedly set to be officially announced on July 31.

Regarding the media reports, InterpressNews spoke with both parties.

Lelo stated:

"Several strong candidates are being considered. We are conducting sociological surveys and asking the people of Tbilisi who should be the mayor. The final decision will be made by the residents of Tbilisi, and we will carry it out!"

As for the “Gakharia for Georgia” party, they responded that “at this stage, discussing a specific mayoral candidate by name is not serious,” as deliberations are still ongoing.

"There are ongoing discussions, consultations, and research regarding the mayoral candidates. We are working with many people and considering many options. We will choose a candidate who has the highest chance of winning. The deadline for nominating candidates is September 4. No matter how much activists from the United National Movement or Georgian Dream wave around ‘cards’ from PostTV or Imedi, you will hear who the candidate is only from us. Talking about a specific mayoral candidate by name is not serious at this stage, because no single person is being specifically considered yet. Therefore, we cannot confirm any candidacy — including that of Elisashvili!" the “Gakharia for Georgia” party stated.