Political parties react to Marneuli clash
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Peace has returned to a polling station in Marneuli where a violent clash erupted earlier this evening, but no parties are taking responsibility for the action.
Opposition United National Movement (UNM) party denied its supporters were involved in the incident where several police officers were injured after being hit by stones and other debris.
About 6pm crowds of young men were heard shouting ‘Misha’, the name of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili who was the founder and leader of UNM.
This evening UNM denied its supporters were involved in the clash.
A short time ago Georgia’s Interior Ministry said the participants of the Marneuli incident were supporters of UNM and opposition election bloc Paata Burchuladze - State for People.
One of UNM’s leaders Giorgi Tugushi denied this and said the confrontation was between supporters of Burchuladze’s bloc and ruling Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GDDG) party.
Tugushi alleged the ballot box had disappeared from the polling station however this was refuted by the Central Election Commission (CEC).
Immediately after the incident a CEC spokesperson confirmed the ballot box remained protected at the polling station.
Ruling Party reacts
After hearing Tugushi’s comments, GDDG Executive Secretary Irakli Kobakhidze said UNM should be ashamed of falsely accusing GDDG of being involved.
Kobakhidze said about 100 UNM supporters attacked the voting station to "intentionally cause tension”. He said GDDG had warned its supporters in Marneuli to be careful and not become a victim of provocation by other political supporters.
Burchuladze speaks out
Burchuladze, leader of the Paata Burchuladze - State for People election bloc, did not deny his supporters were involved but said they there "to restore justice”.
He accused the Government of falsifying the elections.
"I’m urging the special forces not to touch the peaceful public who want to restore justice. Today the Government is in trouble and when it’s in trouble it uses such methods.”
The country's Interior Ministry said supporters of opposition parties United National Movement party (UNM) and the election bloc Paata Burchuladze - State for People attacked #48 polling station in Kizilajlo Village, mainly populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili thanked the country’s police for "preventing a very serious, well-planned provocation” during yesterday's election. Last night he visited injured police officer, Deputy Chief of Kvemo Kartli regional Police, Ramin Ismailov at Tbilisi Ingorokva Hospital.
Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into several cases of violence that erupted at polling stations during yesterday’s Parliamentary Elections.
It’s Monday but children in a small village in southern Georgia could not go to school today. The reason was very political even though children are not interested in politics at all.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into an incident last night where a physical confrontation erupted between supporters of two opposed political parties in Tbilisi.
Today Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed six people aged between 19 and 25 were detained for committing and inciting violence at #48 polling station in Kizil-Ajlo village in southern Marneuli district.The names of the six people have not been publicly released.