Opposition rallies in Batumi, demands repeat elections

Opposition politicians and their supporters gathered in front of the Adjara government building in the Black Sea town of Batumi to protest the results of the recent parliamentary elections held on October 31. 

Claiming that the ruling Georgian Dream party has ‘stolen the vote’, the protesters say repeat elections should be held in a fair environment. 

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Protesters first gathered in Batumi yesterday in solidarity with opposition politicians rallying in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. 

UNM/Strength in Unity election bloc majoritarian candidate in Batumi constituency Levan Varshalomidze is one of the 17 opposition politicians who qualified for the run off but refuses to join the race. Photo: Manana Kveliashvili/Batumelebi

They do not accept the official results published by the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the region’s Supreme Election Commission (SEC) based on which the ruling Georgian Dream party has won the parliamentary elections and the Adjara Supreme Council elections with 48.23% and the 45.9%, respectively. 

The United National Movement/Strength in Unity election bloc and other opposition politicians agreed not to take up the mandates either in the Georgian parliament or in the Adjara Supreme Council, stating they will fight for repeat elections.

Before gathering in front of the Adjara government building today, protesters marched to the SEC building and put a lock on its gates, demanding the ‘return of their votes’. Photo: 1TV.ge

Meanwhile in Tbilisi, parties which overcame the mandatory 1% threshold, along with other non-parliamentary parties, announced they would hold a large protest rally on central Rustaveli Avenue on November 8.

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Georgian parliamentary elections and elections of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara were held on October 31. 

A total of nine parties overcame the 1% threshold for the general parliamentary elections; however, only the ruling party and the UNM/Strength in Unity bloc crossed the 5% threshold in the Adjara Supreme Council elections.