Police investigating attack on opposition members in Akhalkalaki
The lives of the injured opposition members are not at any risk, local media report. Photo: Samkhretis Karibche.
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The Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating an alleged attack on the members of the United National Movement opposition in eastern Akhalkalaki region today, which is inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians.
Head of the UNM Akhalkalaki election headquarter Ashot Raisian claims that he and three others at the office were attacked and beaten by Akhalkali-Ninotsminda majoritarian MP Enzel Mkoian and his brother.
The regional media Samkhretis Karibche reports that the four injured individuals were transported to hospital after the incident at about 1 p.m. today.
The media reports that alleged attackers had wood batons with them.
The affected individuals received most of their injuries on the head,” the media outlet says.
Head of the Akhalkalaki Georgian Dream election headquarter Nairi Iritsian says that controversies between the Georgian Dream and the UNM representatives emerged yesterday, when UNM members tore down election posters of the ruling party supported presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili.
For his part the MP speaks about provocations from Raisian and other UNM supporters in the pre-election period and on the election day.
Raisian has had a dispute with the members of a district election commission several times. He also had disputes with the Georgian Dream activities, telling them that they would be in a serious trouble when the UNM returned to power,” Radio Liberty quotes Mkoian as saying.
The MP said that on the election day Raisian and his people tore down election posters of Zurabishvili and were using a bad language to the presidential candidate and the government members.
“On the next day, when our supporters heard about this they came to the UNM election headquarters. There was a little dispute which turned into a brawl. I live in 50 meters from the UNM election office and my brother went there to learn what was going on. It is a provocation which started several days ago and still continue,” Mkoian told the Radio Liberty.
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) has ended the counting process of votes for the 28 October presidential elections.The votes of all 3,705 polling stations have been counted and the results mean that a runoff will be held no later than 2 October between the top two candidates-Zurabishvili and Vashadze.
The presidential candidate of ten opposition parties Grigol Vashadze, who came second in the presidential race based on the current data of the Central Election Commission, says that it is no time for euphoria as the second round of the elections is still ahead.
3,689 of a total of 3,705 polling stations have been counted: the ruling Georgian Dream party supported independent candidate Salome Zurabishvili received 38.6 per cent of the vote and the presidential candidate of ten opposition parties, Grigol Vashadze, received 37.7 per cent.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Natia Mezvrishvili has held a briefing where she reported on the election process and incidents in or near polling stations.
Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Natia Mezvrishvili says that 15 individuals have been charged for 28 October election-related violations.