Georgian Dream, United National Movement supporters clash in Marneuli
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An incident took place near the Marneuli District Election Commission between supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream and opposition United National Movement (UNM) parties today.
The commission chairman said a group of people tried to break into the commission building and 'obstruct their work', after which one of the commission members was physically assaulted.
As reported, the UNM majoritarian candidate MP Azer Suleimanov and head of the Georgian Dream's Marneuli office had a verbal confrontation.
Suleimanov said that the election commission in Marneuli held its first meeting and the chairmen of the precincts, as well as the deputies, were 'silently elected' from them yesterday and this is what the UNM supporters were protesting today.
The UNM and the Georgian Dream accuse each other of provoking the incident.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has started an investigation into the incident.
Georgian Central Election Commission condemned the facts of 'violence and attempts to put pressure on the District Election Commission'.
The statement published by the commission reads that the allegations that the District Election Commission did not inform the members of the precinct election commissions appointed by the UNM about the holding of the first sessions 'are baseless and are a lie'.
This is an attack on a person employed by the Marneuli District Election Commission, who asked the people there to explain why they were filming him without permission, in response to which he was physically abused; we are also facing an attempt by unauthorised persons to invade the District Election Commission", reads the statement.
Georgian Central Election Commission calls on observers and international organisations to 'closely monitor the actions of some of the parties' involved in the election, which is aimed at 'discrediting the election administration, damaging the entire election process, and attempting to create a tense pre-election background'.
Meanwhile, another incident took place in Gldanula district of Tbilisi, again between members of the Georgian Dream and the UNM after the members of the Georgian Dream raised the flags of the party instead of a state flag. Members of the UNM said that the Georgian Dream party members 'force people' to look at their flags and party symbols.
Opposition party European Georgia has presented its party list for the 2020 parliamentary elections. Leader of the party Davit Bakradze said their representatives in the list are not distributed consecutively, which means that voters themselves decide who enters the parliament.
About 10 members of the ruling Georgia Dream party have been injured and two of them are in critical condition after a confrontation with United National Movement members in the village of Nakhiduri of Bolnisi yesterday, says majoritarian candidate of the Georgian Dream for Bolnisi-Dmanisi-Tetritskaro-Tsalka Gogi Meshveliani.
The election banner of a majoritarian candidate for the October 31 parliamentary elections, Aleko Elisashvili includes his phone number to allow voters to contact him directly.
Political party Lelo has nominated former MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party Levan Koberidze in Vake constituency of Tbilisi which was a surprise for Elene Khoshtaria – the joint opposition candidate in the constituency in the October parliamentary elections.
Another incident took place in Marneuli yesterday between members of the ruling Georgian Dream and the opposition United National Movement during which several people, including two journalists and two cameramen of the Mtavari Arkhi TV, as well as a cameraman of the Public Broadcaster, were injured.
Head of Elections Headquarters of ruling Georgian Dream party, former parliament speaker Irakli Kobakhidze has made a statement regarding last night's clashes between Georgian Dream and the United National Movement (UNM) supporters in Marneuli and said that he is sure 'we will see people behind bars today or tomorrow'.
Georgian police have detained two individuals over the September 29th clash in Marneuli district between supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition United National Movement.
Georgian police have detained two individuals affiliated with the opposition United National Movement party for assaulting the supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party during the clashes in the municipalities of Bolnisi and Marneuli on September 27 and September 29 respectively.
Police have detained four individuals for group violence against Temur Shubitidze, the ruling Georgian Dream party member and an advisor to the chairman of the Marneuli City Council (Sakrebulo).
The ruling Georgian Dream party has reported that its office in Dmanisi municipality in Kvemo Kartli region was raided by the opposition representatives. GD Executive Secretary Irakli Kobakhidze told Rustavi 2 TV that this was ‘a severe provocation’.