13 new members of the Academic Council were elected during the first stage of elections held at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) on May 11. Chairman of the TSU Election Commission, Irakli Dvalidze said: “13 members of the Academic Council were elected, among them Irma Kharshiladze, Irine Kurdadze (Faculty of Law), Nodar Belkania, Amiran Berdzenishvili (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences), Giorgi Gvedashvili, Omar Purtukhia (Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences), Tamar Abashidze, Rusudan Sanadze (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences), Elguja Mekvabishvili, Marine Mindorashvili (Faculty of Economics and Business), Paata Imnadze, Nino Okribelashvili (Faculty of Medicine); only one member, Davit Gotsiridze, was elected from the Faculty of Humanities. Apolon Silagadze and Ketevan Khutsishvili garnered equal number votes and therefore, a runoff voting will be held. Its date will be set in the near future.”
All the seven polling stations were closed at 5pm. Chairman of the Election Commission Irakli Dvalidze said that out of 791 voters, 666 cast their ballots – it constitutes 84.1% of total number of voters. The TSU Election Commission said that several non-governmental organizations (Open Society Georgia Foundation; Georgian Young Lawyers Association; Supporters’ Association for Education Reform) and individual observers were monitoring the process of elections.
Konstantine Salukvadze of NGO Young Barristers said that “the Academic Council elections were held transparently without any violations.”
35 candidates underwent registration, but one candidate was removed from the ballot because of a shortcoming in the presented documents and another candidate withdrew from the race. On April 20 then Rector of TSU, Vladimer Papava issued a decree setting May 11 as the date of the Academic Council elections.
The new Academic Council of TSU will take office on May 16, 2016.
