19 September 2017, 04:54
British journalist runs for mandate to Tbilisi City Council
Joseph Alexander Smith, a journalist from Great Britain, has been registered by the Saburtali District Election Commission as a candidate to participate in the elections to the Tbilisi Sakrebulo (City Council).
In Georgia, the elections to the local self-administration agencies are scheduled for October 21.
Joseph Alexander Smith is an activist and journalist from London. He cooperates with Deutsche Welle, The Guardian, and Georgian media. He is an activist of the movement "Walk on foot", which fights for protection of the pedestrians' rights of in Tbilisi, the "Sputnik-Georgia" reports.
The Georgian political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent have stated that the name of Joseph Alexander Smith does not tell them anything. He has few chances to win and participates in the elections for PR and, probably, the desire to pave the way to the Georgian politics, the political analysts believe.
It is too early to judge the Joseph Alexander Smith's chances at the elections, since he has not yet submit his election programme, noted political analyst Zaal Andjaparidze.
"The number of votes he gains at the elections will show how our society is open to everything new," the political analyst believes.
Joseph Alexander Smith has become the second foreigner to participate in the elections in Georgia. The first foreigner was Sandra Elisabeth Roelofs, the wife of Mikhail Saakashvili, the third President of Georgia. In 2016, she was on the list of the opposition "United National Movement" (UNM) Party.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.
Author: Inna Kukudzhanova Source: CK correspondent