Elections in Georgia are running smoothly, says GYLA
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The electoral process is underway in Georgia. It's been four hours since polling stations opened and so far the environment is peaceful and orderly, says Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, a leading local non-governmental organisation.
Overall the electoral environment around the country was peaceful, and polling stations had opened on time and were fully equipped with the necessary materials and papers. However there had been several minor violations, said head of GYLA Ana Natsvlishvili.
At this time the electoral process is underway in a peaceful environment however several violations have taken place. Media is spreading information about different violations in [capital] Tbilisi and in the regions. We are checking this information and will comment as necessary once we know more," said Natsvlishvili.
Natshvlishvili said a couple of violations had been confirmed and were being investigated.
One violation occurred today during the random selection of [Central Election] Commission members who will accompany the mobile ballot box, when members of the United National Movement party refused to participate in the selection process. We believe this is improper performance of the duties of the Commission member,” Natsvlishvili said.
She added in several districts heads of election stations decided not to allow these Commission members to participate in other randomly selection processes, and only work under the instruction of election station leaders.
We also got the directive, which was given to the heads of the election stations, that allowed them to do so,” Natsvlishvili said.
She also mentioned in two election stations of Tbilisi – #26 election station in Nadzaladevi and #11 election station in Didube – "ethic violation” and "improper behaviour” occurred from members of the monitoring organisations.
Several opposition leaders have already voted in Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections. Free Democrats leader, one of UNM's leaders and a Republican Party leader have cast their votes this morning.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has cast his ballot in today's Parliamentary Elections and voted for Georgia’s "European future and fast economic development.”Kvirikashvili went on to say his choice promoted health and better education for the country’s youth.
All polling stations in Georgia are now open where people can go and cast their vote in the Parliamentary Elections.
At 8am this morning polling stations around the country opened for 3.5 million voters to elect a new Parliament that will later form the Government of Georgia. This will be the ninth Parliament in the history of independent Georgia.
A short time ago Central Election Commission spokesperson Ana Mikeladze said voter turnout was 8.34 percent by 10am - two hours after polling stations opened throughout the country.
Head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Catholics Patriarch Ilia II has cast his vote and has appealed to all Georgian citizens to also have their say on who they want to run the country.
For the first time in Georgia's history, an election station has opened in the Southern Hemisphere for today's Parliamentary Elections.
An election commission in the central Georgian town of Gori had a pleasant-busy morning by a mischievous owl at a local polling station.
By 12pm, almost 700,000 people (or 19.81 percent) had voted in Georgia's Parliamentary Elections, said Central Election Commission spokesperson Ana Mikeladze.
The set-up, opening and operations of polling stations throughout Georgia took place this morning without any substantial violations, say observers from the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED).
Inmates in a handful of Georgia's prisons are able to vote today in the Parliamentary Elections of Georgia.
Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili has named former head of Georgia’s Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) Ana Natsvlishvili as his new parliamentary secretary.