Ruling party, opposition supporters clash in Gldani district of Tbilisi result in injuries, detentions
Police remain mobilized outside the polling stations trying to resolve the tension. Photo: hot form 1TV video
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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.
Verbal insults were exchanged and physical fighting broke out, while journalists were hindered to exercise their right to report, TV Pirveli reports.
Head of patrol police Vazha Siradze told journalists that five people have been detained, while police are looking into the situation.
Publika shared video footages of the Gldani clashes:
Opposition representative from the United National Movement Nika Melia was earlier reported among the detainees.
TV Pirveli journalist Ana Mdivani reported from polling station #79 that an individual broke the phone of Publika journalist Mindia Gabadze. Mdivani noted as well that the offender remains in the area and continues to threaten others.
Another TV Pirveli journalist Ana Akhalaia was also injured during the clash in Gldani:
Police remain mobilized outside the polling stations trying to resolve the tension.
The opposition claims criminal gangs are mobilized at the polling stations to support the ruling party; the latter denies the accusations, and instead claims the opposition is staging provocations.
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.
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 Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs says parliamentary elections are proceeding peacefully and no serious violations have taken place so far throughout the country.
A total of 1,279,947 voters (36.45% of eligible voters) have cast their ballots in the Georgian parliamentary elections by 15 p.m.
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.
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.
In total 1,607,530 Georgian voters have cast their ballots in the Georgian parliamentary elections across the country by 17 p.m., the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia has announced. Voter turnout now stands at 45.77 per cent.
British Ambassador to Georgia Mark Clayton has expressed his hope that the election process will continue ‘as calmly as it has until this moment’ and that ‘every party will respect the official results’ of today’s parliamentary elections in Georgia.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has started an investigation into nine incidents that were observed during the parliamentary elections today, announced Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Kakha Sabanadze. He said that in total 10 individuals were arrested in relation to seven cases of administrative violations.
One person has been detained for assaulting a journalist of Publika media outlet during the parliamentary elections on October 31. The person broke the phone of Publika journalist Mindia Gabadze while filming his aggressive behaviour outside the polling station No. 79 in Gldani constituency in Tbilisi.
The President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) Attila Mesterhazy has issued a statement on the recent political and electoral developments in Georgia, in which he writes that although fundamental freedoms had been respected during the campaign and on election day, there had been several incidents which affected public confidence in parts of the process. He calls on Georgian authorities to investigate all incidents in a transparent and fair manner.
Ruling party member Beka Davituliani stated that whoever is behind the burning of Melia’s office ‘will definitely be held strictly accountable.’ "The investigation will reveal who stands behind this", he said.
Transparency International Georgia’s (TI Georgia) observation of the parliamentary elections from July 1 to November 22 shows that the misuse of administrative resources during electoral processes is still problematic for Georgia.