Interior Ministry says elections proceeding peacefully, no serious violations so far
Georgians are heading to the polls today to elect the country’s 10th national legislature since independence from the Soviet Union back in 1991. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs says parliamentary elections are proceeding peacefully and no serious violations have taken place so far throughout the country.
As we [MIA] have already informed the public, special mobile police groups have been created in order to ensure public order and a safe election environment throughout the day… The MIA will proactively inform the public regarding the possible violations during the election process”, said Deputy Interior Minister Nino Tsatsiashvili.
Mobile police groups have been created in every region of Georgia in order to ensure a free and peaceful environment on October 31.
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.
Georgians are heading to the polls today to elect the country’s 10th national legislature since independence from the Soviet Union back in 1991.
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.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has cast her vote in central Tbilisi earlier today, stating that ‘today, we all vote to build a dream country - a democratic, European state.’
The ruling Georgian Dream party chairperson Bidzina Ivanishvili has stated that he has voted for the country’s development, stability, peace and Georgia’s European future.
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.
Opposition United National Movement member Dimitri Shashkin has been observed walking with a gun near the polling station in the Talaveri village of Bolnisi municipality earlier today. Shashkin, who admitted carrying the gun, said he is authorised by the interior ministry to do so. However, Shaskin said, he did not enter any polling stations.
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.
Clashes have taken place between the ruling Georgian Dream and opposition United National Movement party supporters in Gldani constituency in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi periodically throughout the afternoon.
A total of 292,587 voters (8.3% of eligible voters) have cast their ballots in the Georgian parliamentary elections by 10 a.m.