Interior Ministry creates mobile police groups to ensure secure, peaceful elections on October 31 throughout Georgia
Georgia will hold its upcoming parliamentary elections in a different manner – 120 seats in parliament will be distributed based on votes received in proportional elections, while remaining 30 per the votes received in majoritarian elections. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Mobile police groups have been created in every region of Georgia in order to ensure a free, secure and peaceful environment on election day on October 31.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) says that if necessary, the mobile groups are obliged to instantly react to offences during the elections.
The International Relations Department of the MIA will be responsible to ensure the exchange of information with international observers regarding the duties and responsibilities of police on election day, while the Human Rights Protection and Quality Monitoring Department of the MIA has been designated as a contact point for the representatives of the Public Defender of Georgia (Ombudsman).
Local observation missions and non-governmental organizations will have to provide information regarding violations to the Legal Department and the Human Rights Protection and Quality Monitoring Department of the MIA.
Georgia will hold its upcoming parliamentary elections in a different manner – 120 seats in parliament will be distributed based on votes received in proportional elections, while remaining 30 per the votes received in majoritarian elections.
Previously 77 seats in its 150-member parliament were allocated proportionally, under the party-list system, while the remaining 73 MPs were elected in 73 single-mandate constituencies.
On election day Georgian citizens will elect mayors in five municipalities and City Council (Sakrebulo) MPs in four municipalities as well.
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch and Senator Jeanne Shaheen have made a joint statement ahead of the October 31 parliamentary elections in Georgia, noting the importance for all political parties in the country to respect and abide by international standards for a free and fair electoral process.
The European Union has announced today the deployment of a European diplomatic watch, which will send over 70 teams to visit over 1,000 polling stations in Georgia on the election day on October 31. Travelling in specially EU marked cars and wearing EU vests and hats, the diplomatic watch teams will follow all relevant COVID-19 safety precautions.
‘Go vote! Go vote in the peaceful, fair elections!’ ’Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has called on citizens ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections of October 31. Zurabishvili congratulated those who will be going to the polls for the first time. She said they ‘will take part in the development of the state for the first time and thus determine the future of their country’.
The Central Election Commission has set safety guidelines for the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 31 following consultations with political parties and monitoring organisations. Disinfectant barriers and hand sanitizers as well as information about preventive measures against the spread of the virus will be placed at the entrance of polling premises, the CEC said.
On election day the European diplomatic watch will assemble no less than 70 teams and visit some 1000 polling stations on election day throughout the country, said EU ambassador Carl Hartzell.
10,845 people in self-isolation or coronavirus hospitals are registered to vote in tomorrow’s elections.
Opposition political parties have agreed not to form a coalition government with the ruling Georgian Dream party after the parliamentary elections tomorrow if the ruling party receives less than 40 per cent of votes in the proportional elections. Per the constitutional amendments earlier this year none of parties will be able to form the government alone if they receive less than 40 per cent of votes in the proportional elections.
EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell has expressed his hope that the voting process today in the parliamentary elections will be free from violations and intimidation, noting that this is the responsibility of all parties.