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The ruling United National Movement may be gearing up to renege on President Mikheil Saakashvili's promise - made just 10 days ago - to insist on direct elections for the mayor's of all Georgia's cities.

It is no secret that members of the National Movement were unhappy at the President's unscripted announcement at the UN general assembly on 24 September that the mayors of all five Georgian cities Batumi (pictured), Poti, Rustavi and Kutaisi - and not just Tbilisi - would be directly elected.

The opposition, however, had demanded just such a pledge and have been willing to discuss the proposal with the Nationals in meetings of the election reform working party.

But so far the ruling party have refused to engage with the debate and may now be gearing up to renege on the President's promise.

The Nationals' MP and head of the parliamentary legal committee, Pavle Kublashvili, dismissed the president's plan out of hand telling Civil.ge that such proposals “have not been discussed and is not being discussed” within the party.

Asked about the President’s announcement, Kublashvili told the website: "I am not aware of such initiative that all mayors would be directly elected."

"One thing I know is that Tbilisi mayor will be directly elected and a relevant legislative basis will be prepared," he stated.

One MP, Mikheil Machavariani, unlike Kublashvili, was at least prepared to acknowledge that the president had made the proposal - but baldy said he would argue against it inside the National Movement:

"I do not support this statement," he told Civil.ge.