On May 13, Archil Chikovani resigned as Mayor of Batumi. The mayor announced his resignation via a Facebook post.
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"I have decided to resign as Mayor of Batumi. It has been a great honor and an important responsibility to serve as the leader of the city. I would like to thank the citizens of Batumi for their expressed trust and support and thank the team with whom I worked for years for the welfare of our city. I want to extend special thanks to the large family of Georgian Dream, and, of course, I remain a loyal member of this team," Chikovani wrote.
He was elected Mayor of Batumi in 2021, and his term was set to expire in October 2025. Before becoming mayor, Chikovani was appointed Deputy Mayor of Batumi in 2020 and served as acting mayor for several months after the resignation of Mayor Lasha Komakhidze.
Giorgi Murvanidze has been appointed acting Mayor of Batumi. He was introduced to the Batumi City Hall staff by Sulkhan Tamazashvili, who was recently appointed Chairman of the Ajara Government by Georgian Dream.
On May 14, Kobuleti Mayor Levan Zoidze also resigned. Similar to Archil Chikovani's statement, Zoidze posted his resignation on his Facebook page:
"I have decided to resign from the position of Mayor of Kobuleti. It was a great responsibility for me to lead this city and to meet the needs of its citizens to the best of my ability. I thank the people of Kobuleti for their support and loyalty. I also thank those who supported us in creating a better future for our region. I would especially like to express my gratitude to Georgian Dream, and, of course, I remain a loyal member of this team.”
Earlier, on April 4, Tornike Rizhvadze, Chairman of the Ajara Government, also resigned via a Facebook post.
Local government elections in Georgia are scheduled for October 4, 2025. According to Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, the party has already begun preparations for the elections.
