Mtavari Arkhi TV director calls on opposition to protect their votes as CEC delays publication of initial results
Mtavari Arkhi TV exit poll predicts run off in 7 out of 8 Tbilisi constituencies, most regions. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Opposition Mtavari Arkhi TV Director NIka Gvaramia said after the publication of its IPSOS exit poll results that the ruling Georgian Dream party is losing in the parliamentary elections, this is why the Central Election Commission (CEC) is not publishing the initial results of the voting.
Gvaramia called on the opposition leaders who allegedly top the list of majoritarian candidates and their parties, including the United National Movement, European Georgia, Strategy Builder, Girchi, Lelo for Georgia. Labour Party and United Georgia to go to the CEC and protect their votes.
Gvaramia said it is not in his authority to act on behalf of opposition now as a representative of the television; However, the urged politicians to protect their votes tonight, because, he said, opposition leaders may go to sleep as victors tonight, but they might wake up as losers tomorrow.
Meanwhile, follow the vote counting at the CEC live stream:
The UNM leaders Zaal Udumashvili and Salome Samadashvili have announced that the opposition should start consultations to create a coalition government and get ready for the run off in the constituencies where no candidate managed to clear the mandatory threshold.
European Georgia candidate Elene Khoshtaria also said they will not give up and let the Georgian Dream to falsify the choice of the Georgian voters.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has thanked international partners and observers for their ‘commitment to Georgia’s democracy’ during the election day.
Mtavari Arkhi TV has released separate results of its exit polls carried out by IPSOS. It says in all constituencies except from Gldani, predicting the runoff between the ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition candidates in the majoritarian part of the elections.
A polling station election commission from a Marneuli Municipality village in southern Georgia has reported its summary protocol paper missing after the closure of voting at the location.
Election commissions across Georgia have received 289 complaints about polling violations, the Central Election Commission said following the closure of stations, with most of the formal objections relating to "procedural" issues.
The Central Election Commission will announce the first official results of the parliamentary elections five to seven hours after polling stations close across the country, the body has announced. A briefing for the media at the CEC said the initial data would be made available after "all procedures" related to counting bulletins of the polling. Election body spokesperson Ana Mikeladze said practice showed between five and seven hours required for the initial count.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has released the first preliminary results for the October 31 parliamentary elections. As of now, results from 1,085 polling stations nationwide have been counted, which is 28.2% percent of the total number of polling stations in the country.
Georgian Dream Executive Secretary Irakli Kobakhidze has told local media at least a dozen election districts across the country are expected to go into runoff after the Saturday voting of parliamentary elections.
The ruling Georgian Dream party expects to take at least 92 seats in the 150-member parliament after the second round of majoritarian elections in 14 of 30 majoritarian constituencies in Tbilisi and regions which is likely to take place on November 21.
Local NGO Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) says the analysis of 170 election-related violations and 46 complaints ‘makes it clear that the Georgian parliamentary elections were a step back compared with the 2016 parliamentary elections’.
The leader of opposition United National Movement (UNM) Nika Melia has called on the public to gather in front of the parliament building at the central Rustaveli Avenue at 4 p.m. on November 1.