Occupants prevent 85-year-old Georgian man from crossing occupation line to vote
Data Vanishvili says that he tried to cross the occupation line this morning to vote, but he cut his hand on the barbed-wire fences and so-called border guards prevented him from crossing and threatened him. Photo: N.Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Russia-controlled so-called border guards are standing in front of the home of 85-year-old Georgian citizen Data Vanishvili to prevent him from voting in the Georgian presidential election runoff.
Vanishvili managed to cross the occupation line and vote in the first round of elections on 28 October.
Two so-called border guards came to me this morning and warned me not to cross the line. They threatened me that if I did go vote, they would detain me and make me pay fine. They are nearby to prevent from going to vote”, Vanishvili told the Georgian media.
Vanishvili’s yard is divided in two by Russian-erected illegal barbed wire fences.
Vanishvili stated during the first round of elections that he had been warned by the Russia-controlled troops not to “cross the border”, but he did so anyway and voted at the Khurvaleti village polling station.
A total of 688,551 voters, accounting for 19.06% of total number of voters, have cast their ballots in the presidential runoff by 12 p.m., announced the Central Election Commission (CEC).
The ruling Georgian Dream party endorsed presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili and the opposition candidate Grigol Vashadze have already cast their votes in the presidential election runoff.
Georgia is electing its fifth president on Sunday and for the first time in the Georgian history a female candidate has a real chance to take the post.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze has called upon the United National Movement opposition and the “party affiliated” Rustavi 2 private broadcaster not to try to create an “artificially aggressive environment” on election day.
1,662,453 voters, accounting for 47.31% of the total number of voters, cast their ballots in the presidential runoff by 5 p.m., three hours before the polling stations will be closed, announces the Central Election Commission (CEC).
87-year-old Data Vanishvili, whose yard is divided in two by Russian-erected illegal barbed wire fences, crossed the occupation line early in the morning to cast his vote in the presidential elections.
88-year-old Georgian man Data Vanishvili, whose house and agricultural lands are divided in two by occupying forces, has asked advice from NATO PA President Madeleine Moon, who has visited the occupation line in the village of Khurvaleti earlier today.