The crucial parliamentary elections in Georgia took place on October 26. The eagerly awaited elections were held at a time when Georgian society is at a crossroads between the EU and Russia, with most of the society aspiring to the constitutional objective of achieving Euro-Atlantic integration, but weakened by Russian influence not only from the outside but also from the inside – coming from the ruling power.
These were the first fully-proportional elections in Georgia, as well as the first electronic elections, with about 90% of voters casting their ballots through electronic machines installed at polling stations. The fact that these were the first proportional elections, with a 5% threshold that parties must pass to fill 150 seats of the Parliament, has prompted parties to form coalitions, and the main four contenders to pass the electoral threshold- the three most prominent opposition coalitions, as well as the For Georgia party- have a signed up to the President’s Georgian Charter (Read more about the odds and the context of the elections Here).
The main contenders that had the best chance of passing the threshold among the 19 registered parties, are (more on that Here):
· (41) Georgian Dream, current ruling party united with its spinoff political movement People’s Power;
· (5) Unity – to Save Georgia, which unites the former ruling United National Movement, plus Strategy Agmashenebeli and various old and new faces;
· (4) Coalition for Change, another union of former UNM faces brings together Ahali led by Nika Gvaramia and Nika Melia, Girchi – More Freedom led by Zura Japaridze, and Droa led by Elene Khoshtaria;
· (9) Strong Georgia, an alliance positioning itself as equidistant from both UNM and GD, is led by Lelo for Georgia and includes For People led by Anna Dolidze, Citizens led by Aleko Elisashvili, and Freedom Square led by Levan Tsutskiridze; and
· (25) For Georgia, led by the former GD Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia – another self-positioned “neither UNM nor GD” force, uniting primarily former government officials and MPs who had deserted the Georgian Dream.
The purpose of this live blog, which we are launching with just over two weeks to go and which will replace our regular Election Beat, is to keep you up to date with all the events surrounding the upcoming elections:
ALL TIMES ARE LOCAL
Sunday, October 27
13:10 – Gakharia: Elections Rigged, No Time for Hopelessness, “Smart Forms” of Protest Needed
For Georgia party leader, ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia held a briefing stating that the will of the Georgian people was violated in the elections, but noted, “Now is not the time of hopelessness […] we must all turn to the smart forms of protest, which will be aimed first and foremost at protecting the choice of our citizens, protecting the European future of our country, and protecting the electoral institution as such,” stressing, “Saving the election institution, saving the results of yesterday’s elections is directly connected to saving the European future of the country.”
Gakharia stated that the elections were rigged both on election day and before. “It can be stated by facts that Ivanishvili violated the will of the Georgian people,” Gakharia said, adding that the official results “of course do not reflect the will of the Georgian people.” He said the facts of the violations had been made available to local and international observer missions.
“I can tell you unequivocally that intimidation of voters, bribery of voters, manipulation of voter cards was systematic […] to steal the elections and the will of the Georgian people,” Gakharia said.
12:47 – Khazaradze: Ivanishvili Carried Out a KGB Special Operation
Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the Strong Georgia coalition, reacted to the official election results in a social media post, writing, “It’s perfectly understandable what happened. Bidzina carried out a special KGB special operation. The elections were totally rigged, they took people’s votes and are preparing the country for Russia. This will not work! I will not and cannot agree with this forgery… Never!”
12:00 – ISFED Briefing: Violations Had Substantial Impact on Election Results
The head of the election watchdog ISFED, Nino Dolidze, during the midday briefing, said that the elections were marked by serious violations, as there were cases of pressure, threats, illegal collection of personal data, expulsion of observers, irregularities with voter marking procedure, mobilization of unauthorized people near polling stations, cases of multiple voting and exercise of control over the voters, of not allowing observers do their job and in some instance kicking them out from the precincts, the insertion of multiple ballots into the ballot box, and others.
These violations had a serious impact on the results of the elections, according to ISFED. The watchdog also said that the manipulation and use of administrative resources by the government, as well as the use of state infrastructure, social and economic programmes for electoral purposes, the involvement of officials in pre-election agitation, the illegal collection of personal data of citizens, all had a significant impact on the results of the elections.
Dolidze also spoke about other factors that influenced the results, such as the failure of the authorities to open additional polling stations for the Georgian diaspora, recent electoral changes to the work of the CEC and its staffing, and changes to the rules governing the distribution of roles at polling stations.
11:15 – PM Irakli Kobakhidze Holds Post-Election Briefing
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze holds a post-election briefing. “The Georgian people made the only choice that had no alternative; they chose peace and the country’s development, its bright, European future,” declared Kobakhidze. He claimed that the ruling party had won with a record 1,200,000 votes. He also claimed that the elections were “peaceful,” alleging staged provocations by opposition-leaning television crews. He also thanked the Central Election Commission for “administering elections flawlessly.” He also thanked the members of the election commission. In addition, Kobakhidze expressed special gratitude to the Georgian people, who, according to the Prime Minister, “expressed their trust” in the GD. “The fate of peace for Georgia was decided in these elections, and the ‘consumers’ of peace will be all Georgian citizens without exception,” Kobakhidze said. Finally, he pledged promising economic development in the next four years, during which, according to official election data, the GD is supposed to remain in office. “Peace will bring unprecedented development to our country in the next four years,” he concluded.
11:00 – GYLA Speaks of Violations Identified on Election Day
The head of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Nona Kurdovanidze, held a briefing to assess the Election Day process. She noted that the elections were held “against a background of significant violations, predominantly in an unfair, violent and tense environment”. She listed the main violations:
· Violation of the marking rules – either the CEC commission members did not spray the marking fluid or they asked the voters if they wanted to have the marking fluid sprayed on their fingers; in some cases, the special flashlight failed to detect the marking fluid; there were cases of voting by those voters who seemed to have been marked previously;
· Double verification by voters and the case of the same voter voting several times;
· Obstructing the work of the observers;
· Violation of the secrecy of the vote and influencing the voter’s will; in the majority of the precincts observed by GYLA, the Georgian Dream’s cameras were installed, which monitored the verification machine or the voting booths. Also, there were cases of voters voting with an unauthorized companion.
· Other violations during the elections: Tensions outside the precinct; identification of the voters outside of the precincts by party representatives; interference with the activities of journalists; insufficient performance of functions by members of the commission; facts of illegal agitation; errors related to the use of electronic technologies.
· Violations related to the invalidation of the ballot after the closing of the polling stations, the sealing of the record book, and the familiarization with the documentation of the polling station.
“The serious violations that occurred on election day and the doubts about the reliability of the procedures raise the need for the CEC to clarify – against the background of the complete list of voters loaded into the verification machines – what mechanisms can be used to say with certainty that no duplicate lists were activated in different polling stations. This issue needs to be clarified, particularly as there were serious breaches of the marking procedures,” watchdog said.
10:40 – CEC Praises Electronic Technologies, Denies Allegations of Vote Manipulation
In a post-election briefing, CEC Chairman Giorgi Kalandarishvili said that the elections were successfully conducted with the use of electronic technologies. “Electronic technologies were successfully used in the elections,” he said, adding that “our planning and organization of the process was properly carried out at every stage”. He cited several statistics to prove that his words were true. For example, he said that out of up to 15,000 electronic machines used in the elections, only 20 broke down, and still in all the precincts the voting process continued. Kalandarishvili denied allegations of vote-rigging through multiple voting, specifically refuting claims that citizens voted at multiple polling stations, with their personal information logged into verification machines at more than one location.
In addition, Kalandarishvili presented official results based on 3100 out of 3111 polling stations across Georgia. The results of the parties that passed the 5 percent threshold are as follows:
· Coalition for Change – 10.92%
· Unity-UNM – 10.12%
· Strong Georgia – 8.78%
· Gakharia – For Georgia – 7.76%
· Georgian Dream – 54.8%
09:30 – Over 99% Precincts Counted, CEC Results: GD 54.23%, Opposition – 37.44%
With more than 99% of precincts counted, official results from the Central Election Commission give the ruling Georgian Dream party a 54.23% lead. The combined total of opposition parties that passed the 5% threshold is 37.44%, including:
· Coalition for Change (Ahali+Girchi – More Freedom + Droa) – 10.82%
· Unity to Save Georgia (UNM+Strategy Agmashenebeli) – 10.11%
· Strong Georgia (Lelo for Georgia+For People+Citizens+Freedom Square) – 8.76%
· For Georgia (ex-PM Gakharia’s party) – 7.75%
01:30 – Strong Georgia “Indignant” About Official Preliminary Results
“We are indignant by what the CEC dared to announce. The results they announced do not reflect the will of the Georgian people. Against the backdrop of elections conducted with nationwide intimidation and bribery, the announced figures contradict the historical and present-day choice of the Georgian people,” said Ana Dolidze, one of the leaders of Strong Georgia.
“What they have announced to us are not the real results, they have announced results that favor them, which causes our indignation,” said Aleko Elisashvili, another leader.
00:50 – My Vote Speaks of ‘Large Scale’ Rigging Scheme as Preliminary Results Give Lead to GD, Says Will Demand Annulment of Official Results
My Vote, a local observer mission uniting dozens of Georgian civil society organizations, said it identified a “large scheme” to rig the 2024 parliamentary elections and will demand the annulment of the official results. According to Toloraia, “It became clear that a complex scheme had been worked out to rig the elections,” using methods such as “‘breaking down the verification system, violating marking procedures, and preventing observers from monitoring the voter identification process.” My Vote pointed to “mass” incidents of voters being given two or more ballots instead of one during the first half of the day, and said there were also cases where the ruling party’s field was already marked on the ballot. The mission said it also “became clear” that numerous reports of confiscating or “renting” voters’ ID cards and collecting their personal information during the campaign were used to carry out the same rigging scheme.
00:20 – Two Opposition Coalitions Reject Official Preliminary Results
Opposition coalitions Unity-UNM and the Coalition for change leaders have announced on separate briefings that they are not recognizing the official preliminary results announced by the Central Election Commission.
“On behalf of the UNM, we declare that we will not recognize the results of these stolen elections… We will not give up our European future and we will not accept the stolen election results announced by the Central Election Commission,” said Tina Bokuchava, Chairperson of the UNM.
“We did not expect not to accept the results of these elections. But the elections were stolen, this is a coup and the GD is responsible for it and they will be held accountable,” Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the Coalition said that the party has deciphered how the elections were stolen through technological scheme. “We are continuing to investigate because there were several ways in which the elections were stolen. Our unequivocal decision is that the GD will not remain in power, it’s a constitutional coup,” he added.
The party representatives said that according to their initial investigation into the matter, several ways were used to steal the elections, such as manipulation of the verification system assisted by the registrars who were exclusively GD members), tampering with the marking, multiple electronic voting by the same people in different precincts, for which the GD used the personal information that it had collected by taking the IDs of the voters before the elections.
00:09 – Coalition For Change Office in Zugdidi Targeted
The Coalition for Change office in Zugdidi was targeted by alleged government-paid thugs who threw metal objects and pots at the office and attempted to enter, but left the area as media arrived on the scene. Police and ambulances are now seen in the area. This was reportedly the second attack on the same office today.
Saturday, October 26
23:10 – Gakharia-For Georgia: Election Day Violations Impacted Official Data
Natia Mezvrishvili, deputy chair of the Gakharia-for Georgia party, held a briefing on alleged widespread violations on election day and said that while the party would wait for the final results, it plans to share detailed evidence of violations with local and international partners. Mezvrishvili highlighted several violations that she said impacted the official preliminary results, including vote buying, the acceptance of spoiled ballots in favor of Georgian Dream, the distribution of pre-marked ballots, and incidents of voters casting multiple ballots.
22:00 – CEC Announces Preliminary Results: GD Leads
CEC announces preliminary results:
· Georgian Dream – 52.99% (935,004 votes)
· Coalition for Change – 11.2% (197,619 votes)
· Unity-UNM – 9.83 (173,510 votes)
· Strong Georgia – 9.02% (159,306 votes)
· Gakharia – For Georgia – 8.22% (145,205 votes
Others failed to pass the 5% threshold.
· Official Preliminary Results: Georgian Dream Leads with 52.99%
21:25 – Voter Turnout 58,94% at 20:00, Polls Closed
Official preliminary results are expected soon as 3,000 polling stations closed at around 8 p.m. with 58,94% turnout in Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections. The three exit polls showed dramatically contrasting results, leading both the ruling party and the opposition to celebrate victory.
· Polls Close with 58,94% Turnout
20:15 – Opposition React to Exit Polls
Like the ruling party, opposition reacted to exitpolls with celebration:
Coalition for Change leader Nika Gvaramia: “According to both exit polls, Georgian Dream lost. It has less than 70 seats. The opposition wins. I hope that there will be no question marks in any of the opposition parties as to how the coalition should be formed, nor among the MPs elected by the individual opposition parties. The mandates are distributed about 85-65. These exit polls do not include the immigrant vote. Among immigrants, Georgian Dream loses significantly. It will not be a few votes, it will be up to 100 thousand votes, which will change the results of the elections with a rather negative context for [Georgian] Dream.”
For Georgia leader and ex-prime minister Giorgi Gakharia: “I expect much better results after the real counting [of ballots] begins. I want to tell you that exit polls, especially in our society, these exit polls have a decently high margin of error, that’s why there are such differences now… All kinds of celebrations should come after. Believe me, when the counting is over, our results, the results of the opposition parties as well, will be much better than the exit polls, I am sure of that.”
Coalition Strong Georgia Leader, Mamuka Khazaradze: “Congratulations on the defeat of the Russian government in Georgia. The will of the people has been expressed, now this will must be protected. It is necessary to see this through. I would like to call upon all our representatives in the precincts to protect the votes of the voters until the end, until the last minute… And another thing, today the Georgian society has ended the period of stagnation. A new period, a new life is beginning in Georgia, which is directed towards freedom, democracy and reconstruction of the country. The strength and energy aimed at building a strong Georgia are beginning to work. The most important thing is that the kleptocratic rule of Bidzina Ivanishvili has ended in Georgia…”
Tina Bokuchava, the leader of Unity-UNM, decared: “Despite the violence, Europe won and the Georgian people won. Today, no particular party has won, but the European future of the country, and the opposition has won and GD has lost. The time of Ivanishvili is over,” adding that “in this election the Georgian people voted for a coalition government” and expressed their readiness to form the coalition soon.
20:15 – GD Honorary Chair Reacts to the Exit Polls
Addressing supporters gathered in front of the Georgian Dream office in Tbilisi, Honorary Chair of the ruling party, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili said it was a “rare occasion worldwide, for the same party to keep being successful amid such hard circumstances.” Ivanishvili claimed that in the next four years, the GD would “do a lot, and in the four years after that Georgia will be among the most successful countries in the world.” He added that “there will be no lies, no treachery, no conniving.
20:10 – Hungary’s Orban Congratulates GD on Alleged Victory
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban congratulated Georgia’s ruling party on its alleged victory based on controversial exit poll results. Orban tweeted: “Congratulations to Prime Minister Irakli Konbakhidze and the Georgian Dream party on their overwhelming victory at the parliamentary elections today. The people of Georgia know what is best for their country, and made their voice heard today!”
Congratulations to Prime Minister @PM_Kobakhidze and the Georgian Dream party on their overwhelming victory at the parliamentary elections today. The people of #Georgia know what is best for their country, and made their voice heard today!— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) October 26, 2024
20:00 – Three Exit polls Show Conflicting Results, All Celebrate Victory
Three exit polls released after polls closed across Georgia at 8 p.m. show conflicting results from the October 26 parliamentary elections, with two polls commissioned by opposition-leaning TV stations giving the opposition the lead, while data from pro-government Imedi TV poll projects Georgian Dream as a winner.
· Exit Polls Show Conflicting Results
19:30 – My Vote: Midterm evaluation of the voting process
The mission has released the results of its election observation based on information gathered by 2000 observers between 15:00 and 17:00. The main points are that voting in the constituencies is taking place under violent pressure.
Due to regular cases of violence against observers, My Vote decided to evacuate its observers from certain precincts in Marneuli. In Marneuli and Gardabani, the facts of voting with one’s own passport but with a different personal number are recorded, with the participation of the commission members.
There are still many cases of non-implementation of marking and cases of voting more than once. In case of precincts opened abroad, especially in Europe and the USA, voters stand in queues for many hours.
The situation is particularly alarming in Spain, where the commission is unable to register voters due to high turnout and voters are unable to vote. The main problem is the lack of registrars.
Based on the information from 1222 precincts received by 18:00, in 50 precincts marking is not being checked properly, in 32 precincts marking rules are violates, voting secrecy was violated in 22 precincts, intimidation and physical violence cases are observed in 31 precincts.
Key incidents include the physical violence in Tbilisi’s 5th district’s 1st precinct where My Vote’s observer was attacked. In Marneuli’s 4th precinct GYLA’s observer was restricted from observing. In the 77th precinct of the 32nd district of Gori, the representative of “Georgian Dream” stood next to the box and took notes after the voters had put into the ballot in the box, which was noticed by the chairman of the commission. In the Kutaisi 59th precinct there was observed the agitation cases by the representative of Georgian dream.
The secrecy of voting was violated in the 8th precinct in Kobuleti. Commission members usually place the ballot in the vote counting machines themselves. Also, the fact of three voters entering the booth together and voting was recorded. Critically long queues are observed in London, Paris, Rome, Athens, Milan, Stuttgart, Berlin, and New York. A serious problem is faced by the voters coming to the precinct who are on the voter list on the CEC website and are on consular registration, although they were not on the desk list and could not vote. There are about 50 such voters in Milan.
19:26 – Ombudsman Criticizes Precinct for Lack of Access for Persons with Disabilities
The Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, visited precinct N52 of Saburtalo District in Tbilisi, where he observed the process of exercising the right to vote by a blind voter.
He criticized the precinct building is not accessible for persons with disabilities. He also noted that the members of the precinct commission lack knowledge on how to accommodate the needs of blind or visually impaired persons, as they could not explain the voting procedure to the individual and could not answer the questions posed by the voter. The Public Defender emphasized that it is important to provide in-depth training to the members of the commission to ensure effective participation of voters with disabilities in the elections.
19:26 – Public Defender Calls on Law Enforcement to Promptly Investigate Cases of Physical Assault
The Public Defender of Georgia called on the law enforcement agencies to promptly and effectively investigate the cases of physical assault and confrontation in several precincts, identified within the first nine and a half hours of the election, in accordance to the law in Georgia. The Ombudsman notes:
· In some cases procedural violations were the preconditions for the incidents, tensions and confrontations that occurred at the polling stations and in the vicinity of the buildings, but in most cases the incidents were caused by the mobilization of various groups in the vicinity of the stations;
· Such violence against journalists and observers, as well as obstruction of their work, constitutes a criminal act;
· Everyone should abide by the law, which prohibits physical obstruction of voters’ movement inside the polling station or within 100 meters of the polling station on the day of the election, and to refrain from gathering people/registering voters within 100 meters of the polling station; in addition, the Public Defender calls on everyone to follow the above-mentioned legal order and not to support or encourage the initiation of violence and confrontation, even by keeping the appropriate distance;
· The role of the media is crucial, especially in informing the public about the electoral process, but it is also important that the media does not interfere with the work of the electoral commissions.
The Public Defender also appeals to the leaders of all political parties and their supporters to refrain from encouraging and initiating any kind of violence and to facilitate the conduct of elections in a peaceful and healthy environment.
18:20 – PM Irakli Kobakhidze Claims GD’s “Landslide Victory”
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze held a briefing and claimed that “elections are being held in a peaceful environment,” adding that “out of 3111 polling stations, elections are being held in peace in more than 3100 of them,” despite multiple reports of violence at polling stations across the country. He blamed the opposition-leaning TV stations and questioned the coincidence of the TV crews moving to places where the thugs would appear. Regarding the expectations, he said that the GD “already” has a “landslide victory”, but added that the constitutional majority is not yet guaranteed and therefore called on the citizens to go to the polls. He reiterated the GD’s familiar framing of the elections as a choice between “war and peace”, “immoral propaganda and traditional values”, “the dark past of the country and the bright European future of Georgia.”
18:10 – GD’s Thugs Raided UNM’s Central Office
Dozens of alleged Georgian Dream government-paid thugs stormed the central office of the United National Movement and attacked the UNM representatives there. The men arrived at the office in cars with huge Georgian Dream flags flying from the windows. TV Pirveli footage shows the physical assault on UNM members, who used pepper spray against the attackers, who quickly left the area.
18:00 – ISFED Presents Election Violations
Among violations identified by ISFED by 18:00 were:
· Another ballot box stuffing took place in another precinct, the 22nd in Marneuli.
· Allowing people with marking fluid into polling stations, resulting in double voting;
· Obstructing and removing observers from polling stations;
· Procedural errors in the use of electronic technology;
· Giving people more than one ballot;
· Voting with an expired ID;
· Violation of the secrecy of the ballot by more than one person entering the booth.
17:50 – Voter Turnout 50,6% at 17:00
1,768,816 people, representing 50,6% of the total number of registered voters, voted in the parliamentary elections across Georgia by 17:00, according to CEC.
· CEC: Voter Turnout 50.6% at 17:00
17:41- Foreign Diplomats Visit Watchdogs’ Election Mission Offices
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Georgia, Anna Lyberg, the Estonian Ambassador to Georgia, Marge Mardisalu-Kahar, and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Georgia, Meline Arakalian, also visited ISFED’s office. Ambassador of France to Georgia, Sheraz Gasri, also visited ISFED’s office.
Earlier United States Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan visited the office of the electoral watchdog International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) and the office of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association’s (GYLA) election mission headquarters to inquire about violations about electoral procedure. Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), John Pennell, also visited GYLA’s election mission headquarters.
17:00 – My Vote Holds Briefing on Election Violations
Londa Toloraia, Spokesperson for My Vote, held a briefing on election violations observed in 1,227 precincts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. She reported on issues affecting media and observers, violations of the secrecy of the ballot, and irregularities in the marking and verification process. Major violations reported included:
· Marking violations, including cases of voting without marking, occurred in 70 precincts;
· Voting secrecy was violated in 47 precincts;
· Unauthorized individuals were present at 139 precincts;
· Physical assaults and cases of intimidation were recorded in 38 precincts;
· Technical deficiencies in voting technology were observed in 133 precincts;
· In 92 precincts, unclear explanations of procedures hindered the voting process;
· My Vote observers were obstructed from performing their duties in 61 precincts.
16:55 – Riot Police Mobilized in Government Administration building
Reports and video surfaced in social networks that riot police is being mobilized in the Government administration building.
16:30 – UNM Representative Hospitalized after Being Attacked
UNM party representative is at the hospital after being attacked by several individuals at the territory of the 9th electoral precinct in Isani, Tbilisi.
“The group of people is mobilized around the 9th district. They do not appear sober. They were drinking right at the steps of the polling station building and when we approached them to find out who they were, the same individuals who threw bottles at me and verbally and physically assaulted me earlier today, directly attacked us. I have been kicked in the stomach; not sure if I was kicked by a leg or something else, they also kicked me in the jaw and head area. I am in terrible pain. I saw cold weapons falling from their pockets when they were throwing heavy objects at us. One of them had a cold weapon.” – says Mariam Dolidze.
Dolidze is currently at GeoHospital.
16:24 – CEC: 133 Complaints Filed by 3 p.m.
The CEC held a briefing and announced that as of 15:00, 1,454,837 people had voted, representing 41.62%. The CEC also announced that voting in Australia was closed, while voting in other countries was ongoing. By 3:00 p.m., 133 complaints had been filed by observers, most of them about violation of voting secrecy; violation of the marking rule; agitation; violation of the rights of the observer/representative; etc. The CEC also addressed the physical assaults organized by Georgian Dream thugs on the Gldani 60th precinct, saying that they had already acted “according to the law.”
16:00 – Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze Claims GD Already Has “Solid Majority”
GD General Secretary and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze held a briefing and claimed, based on information received from the party’s local headquarters, that “GD has already guaranteed a solid majority” in the Georgian Parliament, but said that this is not enough as GD is seeking a constitutional majority, thus calling on citizens to vote. He also lauded the high voter turnout, but claimed that it favors the ruling party. He also lashed out at opposition-leaning media, accusing them of “a coordinated attempt to artificially disrupt the electoral process in order to create a false perception against the peaceful conduct of the elections.”
15:43 – President Says She Cannot Reach Interior Minister
President Salome Zurabishvili said in a video address that the presidential administration cannot reach Interior Minister or his deputy. “I would like to ask him and call on him that the reaction of the police be more prompt and more effective, because we should not allow such tensions in our polling stations,” she said. The President gave special thanks to the media working on the sites.
15:00 – Violations revealed by GYLA Monitoring Mission
According to GYLA Monitoring Mission, “by 15:00, the election process has continued with significant violations.” In Kutaisi 43th precinct the voters do not get enough instructions on how to fill out the ballots. At this stage, the GYLA observes 27 records in the record book, 23 in the Precinct Election Commission, and 11 in the District Election Commission. GYLA mission identified also 4 violations of law. The registration of voters continues inside and on the perimeter of the precincts. In addition, according to the information of the GYLA observers, the fact of bringing marked persons with a minibus is being observed on the perimeter of the 34th precinct of Batumi. Several cases have been observed when the voters cast the empty ballot. In Sachkhere 5th precinct the voter was not given an opportunity to change the mistakenly filled ballot. Besides, in Marneuli 12th precinct commission member was standing next to the voting cabin pointing the voter who to vote for. Additionally, in the same precinct, there is the local Majority deputy of the city council (Sakrebulo). GYLA complained about these violations and requested to stop polling in that precinct.
Physical violence cases have been observed in Marneuli 74th, Akhmeta 11th, Gori 22nd and Isani 9th precincts. The actions observed in these precincts include violent acts or threats during pre-electoral agitations or campaigns. Moreover, GYLA reported several cases of attacks on journalists. The examples include attacks on TV Pirveli journalist in Kvemo Khodasheni, after he reported the bribery next to the precinct.
Several cases have been identified that may contain signs of criminal activity. In Baghdati district, an unknown person burstin in the 23rd precinct and damaged the main ballot boxes and vote counting machines. At the 69th precinct of Marneuli, ballots were pushed into the ballot box, and the observer was physically assaulted. Besides, “the attempt at physical violence” and threat to the representative of the opposition party were observed in Gori 84th precinct. Another case of violation was revealed in Gardabani’s 33rd precinct where the voters were intimidated and instructed to fill in the circle next to certain parties. There have been cases of breaches of voting privacy.
14:50 – Majority Leader Accuses Opposition of Staging Provocations
GD MP and Parliamentary Majority Leader Mamuka Mdinaradze held another briefing, claiming that “very hopeful data are coming from regions and cities, including Tbilisi, which favor Georgian Dream and Georgia.” He blamed opposition-leaning TV Pirveli, claiming that the coincidence of the movements of the violent groups and the TV Pirveli crew indicates “a staged special operation involving thugs and TV goons,” claiming that these violent actors belong to TV Pirveli and the UNM, not the government. He cited some SSSG information claiming that the UNM is staging provocations to question the legitimacy of the elections.
15:00 – President Zurabishvili Calls on Police to Respond Timely to Violent Cases
President Salome Zurabishvili calls on police to remove “neighborhood bullies” and “violent gangs of drug addicts” from polling stations. “You are obliged to react more [actively] and timely,” she writes on social media.
14:55 – Marneuli 69th Precinct Closed
The CEC confirmed to Civil.ge that the Marneuli 69th precinct has been closed after the incident with a person stuffing several ballots in the box.
14:20 – TV Pirveli Crew Attacked in Telavi
Opposition-leaning TV Pirveli reports that its crew was attacked in the eastern Georgian town of Telavi, near the 16th polling station. According to the media, the attackers were allegedly GD supporters. The cameraman was beaten and the TV equipment was damaged.
14:20 – CEC Says Information on Pre-Marked Ballots is Manipulation, Reports Commission Member’s Death
The CEC held a briefing and reported that three verification machines and seven ballot counters had failed so far, but none of these technical problems caused a pause in the voting process. The CEC also addressed the image circulating on social media showing a pre-marked ballot, noting that the voter has the opportunity to verify the ballot as soon as he/she receives it, meaning that this information is “manipulative and aimed at damaging the electoral process.” The information about the replacement of marker fluid with water was also denied. The CEC also reported the death of a commission member in the 15th precinct of Poti.
Read More @ civil.ge