Opposition refuses to accept CEC results
The CEC chairperson Tamar Zhvania has announced the preliminary results from 1,085 polling stations with GD leading with 54.72%. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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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.
Claiming they do not accept the election results, opposition leaders held consultations at Melia’s headquarter at the Gldani constituency, saying they will protect their votes and will not surrender.
Opposition politicians gathered at Melia's HQ after the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced the first preliminary results of the parliamentary elections.
Meanwhile, another part of politicians and their supporters went to the CEC but patrol police denied them the entry to the building.
The CEC chairperson Tamar Zhvania announced initial preliminary the results of 1,085 polling stations with the ruling Georgian Dream party leading with 54.72%.
Prior to that, opposition Mtavari Arkhi TV Director Nika Gvaramia claimed the CEC was not publishing the initial results of the voting because the Georgian Dream was losing in the parliamentary elections.
Claiming the elections have been falsified, United Georgia leader Anzor Bitsadze said they will address the international observers in the morning.
Opposition parties which surpassed the one percent election threshold in Saturday’s parliamentary elections in Georgia or nearly did so say they will not take up their mandates in parliament and instead will take to the streets and call for repeat elections. Leaders of the United National Movement, European Georgia, Lelo for Georgia, Strategy Aghmashenebeli and the United Georgia-Democratic Movement opposition parties have accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of vote buying and threatening voters.
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.
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) has counted votes in 3,007 election districts of the total 3,847. According to the preliminary data nine parties will enter the parliament after overcoming the 1% election threshold. According to the preliminary results, Georgian Dream candidates are winning the majoritarian race in the first round of elections in 16 of 30 majoritarian constituencies, while a second round of elections is expected to take place in 14 constituencies, including in all eight constituencies in Tbilisi.
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 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.
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.
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.
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has reacted to the October 31 parliamentary elections in Georgia by welcoming the reforms that enabled the country to conduct the vote 'smoothly' and acknowledging international observers' conclusions on competitive process, but also pointing out 'irregularities and incidents'.