Opposition calls on supporters not to vote, ruling party calls voters to be active

Opposition politicians - who have qualified for today’s run offs - call on their supporters not to head to polling stations today claiming the October 31 parliamentary elections were falsified. 

The opposition has unanimously declared their unwillingness to participate in the second round of the elections even though their names remain on the majoritarian ballot papers per law. 

• One day before the election run-offs: what are the opposition’s plans?

Member of Lelo for Georgia party Ana Natsvlishvili said the run offs show that this is ‘a very clear attempt to return to a single-party, soviet-type of a country’. 

United National Movement member Khatia Dekanoidze again called on her supporters not to participate in the ‘farce’ which she said is ‘the imitation of democracy’ for the ruling party and its leader Bidzina Ivanishvili. 

Opposition politicians have been holding demonstrations since October 31. Photo: Nino Alavidze

However, Dekanoidze said, the new parliament will not be legitimate until their demands are met. 

We will take up our mandates, but only after the new elections”, she told TV Pirveli. 

Opposition parties do not accept the official election results published by the Central Election Commission (CEC), demand CEC chair Tamar Zhvania to resign and new elections be held. 

• The list of majoritarian candidates running in 17 constituencies 

Meanwhile, claiming that the October 31 elections were held in free and fair environment, the ruling Georgian Dream party members call on their supporters to head to polling stations today and vote.

We call on the voters to be as active as possible so that our candidates can convincingly win the second round of elections", GD executive secretary Irakli Kobakhidze said. 

He meanwhile said that although opposition declared their unwillingness to participate, their names remain on the ballots. 

The head and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili said after voting that some political parties are ‘very emotional and ambitious, butu he thinks that 'common sense prevails and we will have a multi-party parliament [in the end].’ Photo: GD press office

Welcoming the fact that the second round of elections are being conducted in a peaceful environment, Defence Minister Irakli Gharibashvili told journalists after voting that it is unfortunate that opposition politicians refused to participate. 

This, Gharibashvili said, ‘will not hinder the peaceful and stable development’ of Georgia. However, he hoped that ‘the constructive part’ of opposition will make a right decision for the state and enter the new parliament.