Georgian PM: we must hold Covid-safe elections
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has urged the candidates of the ruling party in the October 2 municipal elections to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Photo: Irakli Garibashvili’s Facebook page.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated that the country must hold the October 2 municipal elections in a safe environment amid the coronavirus pandemic and has announced a meeting with the leadership of the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) in the coming days.
Garibashvili said earlier today that the upcoming meeting with the CEC leadership will concern the vaccination of the election administration and commission employees.
He urged the ruling Georgian Dream candidates in the elections to wear facemasks during meetings with voters and also encouraged voters to do so.
Giorgi #Kalandarishvili became the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission (#CEC) of Georgia. Mr. Kalandarishvili has already met with Giorgi #Sharabidze, Acting CEC Chairperson, during which Mr. Sharabidze handed over the Chairperson’s authority.
— CEC of Georgia (@cecgovge) August 3, 2021
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55 political parties and initiative groups have requested participation in the elections.
The CEC has already granted election numbers to 50 political parties.
The ruling party will still hold the number 41 in the elections and the United National Movement opposition party will go by the number five.
25 will be the election number of former Georgian former PM Giorgi Gakharia’s party For Georgia.
Strategy Agmashenebeli has changed its name for these elections to ‘the Third Force’ and will run in the race with the number one.
#Opposition Party Representative Elected as Deputy Chairperson by the #CEC for the First Time
— CEC of Georgia (@cecgovge) August 4, 2021
Giorgi #Sioridze, who was appointed to the CEC by Political Union “#Lelo for Georgia”, was voted in by 15 members of the commission, while two abstained.
▶️https://t.co/dcCW6Iv3rk pic.twitter.com/p4gXozIIX5
According to the EU-mediated agreement which was signed by the ruling party and the majority of opposition parties back in April 2021, the Georgian Dream would have been obliged to accept repeat parliamentary elections if it received less than 43 per cent of votes in the municipal elections.
However, the ruling party has recently backed out from the agreement and said that no early elections will take place until the scheduled one in 2024.
The Georgian Dream ‘is sure’ they will receive more than 50 per cent of votes in the elections.
Georgia has reported 2,236 new cases of coronavirus earlier today. Currently 40,233 individuals remain infected with Covid-19 in the country.23,439 tests were conducted around the country in the past 24 hours. 12,524 of the 23,439 tests were rapid tests, while the remaining 10,915 were PCR tests. 3,146 individuals have recovered and 44 have died from the virus in the past 24 hours. The country has had 450,149 cases of coronavirus since February 26, 2020.
Head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that ‘no elections will take place until the one scheduled in 2024.’
An opposition political party For Georgia has made an official decision to participate in the 2021 local self-government elections.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has annulled its signatory status to the April 19 EU-mediated agreement which resolved a six-month political crisis in the country following the 2020 parliamentary elections and proposed large-scale electoral and judiciary reforms.Head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze stated earlier today that the agreement initiated by the European Council President Charles Michel ‘had completed its mission’ and accused opposition parties of non-fulfilment of the agreement.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated at the nomination ceremony for a mayoral candidate in Marneuli municipality of eastern Georgia that only the ruling Georgian Dream party will be able to maintain peace and stability in the country. PM Garibashvili underscored that many problems remain unresolved such as lack of water and gas supply, paving roads and cultivation of agricultural lands in various Georgian villages, noting that ‘this should be our [the ruling party’s] main concern.’
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says based on its polls that they will receive 46.3 per cent of votes in the October 2 municipal elections. The party political council member Shalva Papuashvili stated earlier today that the Georgian Dream ruling party candidate for Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze will receive 66.2 per cent of votes in the elections, while his major opponent from the United National Movement party Nika Melia 33.8 per cent of votes.
The United National Movement (UNM), European Georgia, Droa and Girchi-More Freedom opposition parties have nominated former Tbilisi Mayor under UNM Gigi Ugulava for Poti mayor in western Georgia ahead of the October 2 municipal elections.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has met with a delegation of MEPs ahead of the October 2 municipal elections and has discussed the Georgian government’s readiness to hold ‘free, fair and transparent’ local self-government elections. PM has thanked the MEPs for their support of the country’s European integration, sovereignty and territorial integrity.