Opposition UNM party refuses to participate in election runoff
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The opposition United National Movement (UNM) party is refusing to participate in the second round of the municipal elections that took place on Saturday in Georgia.
Yesterday, the party’s political council held a meeting to discuss the issue and announced their decision not to run in the election runoff.
They said the reason is that the elections were held in an "unfair environment”.
Two UNM candidates – Grigol Vashadze in Kutaisi and Mamuka Danelia in Martvili – had a chance to run in the second round of the mayoral elections after they ranked second in the initial vote this Saturday. In both of these cities, the ruling Georgian Dream candidates led the race but they could not clear the 50 percent threshold, meaning a second round of elections is needed.
According to the election code, the election runoff must take place no later than November 15.
Salome Samadashvili, a UNM member said last night that the UNM political council "made a mistake” when they turned down the "political opportunity” in Kutaisi and Martvili. However, she added that that was what the majority of the council decided.
The Central Election Commission’s preliminary results said that a second round of elections is needed in six municipalities across Georgia. In all other mayoral races, the Georgian Dream candidates won, according to the preliminary data.
The ruling Georgian Dream candidate Kakha Kaladze has won Tbilisi mayoral elections, according to the preliminary data from the Central Election Commission (CEC). The CEC preliminary results say that Kaladze received 51.1 percent of total votes.
The Embassy of the United States (US) congratulates the Government and people of Georgia on Saturday’s well-administered municipal elections. The embassy said in a statement yesterday that the elections were held in a largely peaceful environment and respected fundamental freedoms.
A British man who moved to Georgia five years ago not only actively got involved in Georgian political life this election season but has also demonstrated a great deal of political responsibility to local politicians.
Fundamental freedoms were generally respected in the October 21 municipal elections in Georgia, and candidates were able to campaign freely. This was stated in the preliminary assessment of the elections released this afternoon by two international observing missions.
Georgian police are investigating an incident during which a car belonging to an NGO member exploded as the owner was leaving the election headquarters of one of the candidates late last night.
Mtskheta City Court has annulled Tianeti district election commission’s decision, according to which election votes were recounted in Tianeti and five previously canceled ballots were counted in favour of one of the two mayoral candidates.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia has announced the date of the second round of the October 21 municipal elections. CEC chairperson Tamar Zhvania has said that the election runoff will take place on November 12.
Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has summed up the results of the October 21 municipal elections today and announced who will enter the Tbilisi City Assembly. According to the CEC, four parties made it into the City Assembly.