US Ambassador: calm atmosphere, free elections are most important today
Ambassador Degnan urged citizens to vote while wearing face masks and observing social distance. Photo: US Embassy in Georgia.
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US Ambassador Kelly Degnan to Georgia addressed Georgians earlier today on election day, noting “these parliamentary elections are very important for Georgia, and the most important thing is to have a calm atmosphere and free elections for the people.”
There is no room for violence and intimidation and we will be looking for that sort of thing as observers,” she said to media after meeting officials at the Central Election Commision today.
I am here at the Central Election Commission because this group has organized this election today, they are responsible for the administration of the election, extremely important work. https://t.co/GyqzGmFTOW
— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) October 31, 2020
She expressed hope that the Georgian people will respect the work done by the Central Election Commission (CEC) for a safe and peaceful electoral process, especially against the backdrop of the coronavirus.
Degnan noted that about 75 representatives of the US embassy are observing the elections.
It’s an exciting day for the Georgian people! The freedom to choose your leaders through fair elections is absolutely fundamental to a true democracy" said Degnan at the meeting with Embassy staff this morning coordinating observation teams traveling throughout Georgia to observe today’s elections.
Photo: US Embassy Tbilisi.
The United States is actively supporting these elections and really wants the elections to go smoothly, she noted.
After meeting with officials at the Central Election Commission, Ambassador Degnan left for Marneuli to observe voting at two polling sites there.
Photo: US Embassy Tbilisi.
It is up to the Georgian people to decide who they want to govern their country. The United States does not have a favorite candidate, or a favorite party. We will work with any party that is legitimately elected by the Georgian people, she noted.
She said that the US is focused on a fair process, not the outcome.
A fair election means one person, one vote – no ballot box stuffing, voting multiple times, or other forms of cheating to win, she said.
Ambassador Degnan urged citizens to vote while wearing face masks and observing social distance.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia cast his vote earlier today in Tbilisi, stating he ‘voted for the future as no one can imagine a return to the past.’
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.
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.
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.
Georgian peacekeepers in Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan are casting their ballots in the Georgian parliamentary elections. Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. at Bagram and Mazar-i-Sharif as well as the German camp Marmal. Georgian servicemen in Kabul meanwhile are casting their ballots via a mobile box.
The joint observation mission, composed of the International Organization for Democracy, Media and Cultural Exchange, its international observers, and the Center for Development, says the voting process is taking place in a mostly calm and organized environment, although minor procedural irregularities have been reported.
Georgian law enforcers have launched investigations into six election-related violations which have taken place earlier today in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and in the southern Marneuli municipality. The MIA reports that opposition political party United National Movement supporter Zviad Kuprava was physically assaulted by several individuals at the #40 polling station in the Didi Digomi District of Tbilisi.
A total of 681,583 voters (19.41% of eligible voters) have cast their ballots in the Georgian parliamentary elections by 12 p.m. throughout the country. Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) says the most active polling station is again #19 in Racha-Lechkhumi and Svaneti, where 28.3 per cent of registered voters have cast their vote by 12 p.m.
A total of 292,587 voters (8.3% of eligible voters) have cast their ballots in the Georgian parliamentary elections by 10 a.m.
Five individuals have been detained for disobedience to the police and hooliganism following a clash at a polling station in Gldani district of Tbilisi earlier today, Patrol Police Head Vazha Siradze has stated.