Elections 2016: Greater police presence on voting day
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Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs Giorgi Mgebrishvili says the number of police officers roaming the streets will be "noticeably increased” on Election Day.
A greater police presence would ensure a calm and peaceful environment on October 8 when Georgia hosts its Parliamentary Elections.
"To avoid any misinterpretations later I want to explain that according to the latest legislative amendment, the number of police officers will be noticeably increased in streets but not at voting stations or near voting stations.”
Mgebrishvili added police would be patrolling "more actively” and reactions to election-related violations would be "strict”.
"Personally, myself and the entire Ministry will not tolerate any destabilisation. Any form of violation will be handled immediately,” Mgebrishvili said.
"We will use all levers given by legislation to avoid any kind of physical confrontation no matter who commits it.”
The Interior Ministry and Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining cooperation between the two agencies to ensure peaceful elections.
Earlier Mgebrishvili issued a special decree about police conduct in the pre-election and election periods.
Members of the international community in Georgia including the Ambassador of the United States to Georgia and OSCE observers assessed Georgia’s election campaigning positively.
Campaigning of this year’s Parliamentary Elections in Georgia is more free and open than the previous parliamentary elections, says OSCE.
The United States (US) Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly has spoken of his positive impressions of the calm pre-election environment in Georgia when he met the country’s Minister of Internal Affairs today.
Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs issued a special decree today that clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of Georgia’s police in the election period.
"I wish the election campaign to be as good in the United States as it is in Georgia,” says US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly. He assessed Georgia’s pre-election environment when he spoke on a local television today.
The State Security Service of Georgia has summoned three people for questioning after they released a statement claiming they met ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili in Ukraine four days ago and he revealed his plans to incite violence in Georgia after the October 8 Parliamentary Elections.
Today Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs said the agency was "fully mobilised not to let any complications” occur during this weekend’s second round of voting.