Police investigating 27 alleged crimes related to October 2 pre-election period
A total of 3,664 polling stations will open in Georgia nationwide tomorrow for the municipal race and over 3.4 million voters will be able to elect mayors and members of local councils in various cities of Georgia. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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A total of 27 criminal cases related to the pre-election period of the October 2 municipal elections are under investigation in Georgia, the Interior Ministry has reported today.
An investigation has been launched into the following cases:
- 10 criminal cases of damaging banners of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and opposition parties
- Two criminal cases of the alleged theft of property belonging to a political party’s representatives
- Nine criminal cases of alleged violence against the ruling party and opposition parties
Press briefing of the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs - Aleksandre Darakhvelidze on the measures taken by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure the safe, free and peaceful environment for the October 2, 2021 municipal elections.https://t.co/xqN0md9nhq
— MIA of Georgia (@MIAofGeorgia) October 1, 2021
Police have launched an investigation into the violent event which took place in Dmanisi municipality in the Kvemo Kartli region where two opposition the United National Movement (UNM) supporters were injured.
An investigation has also been launched against a media representative in Kareli on the possible damage to health by negligence
The criminal case of shooting the car of the opposition party For Georgia mayor candidate Besarion Bendeliani in Tsageri is under investigation as well.
The Interior Ministry reports that ‘witnesses of the case have already been interrogated, the scene was inspected and relevant forensic examinations scheduled.’
Police also investigates the case of the alleged forced dismissal from the service of the opposition For Georgia supporters.
Overall six individuals have already been interviewed regarding the forced dismissal case, 23 people are scheduled to be interviewed and six individuals refrain from testifying, the Interior Ministry reports.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandre Darakhvelidze stated today that ‘police forces will be designated throughout the country’ on the election day to ensure that the race is held in a peaceful environment.
Overall 900 police officers have been trained ‘with regard to the election issues,’ Darakhvelidze said.
A total of 3,664 polling stations will open in Georgia nationwide tomorrow for the municipal race and over 3.4 million voters will be able to elect mayors and members of local councils in various cities of Georgia.
“A total of 59 opposition candidates were intimidated during the pre-election period to make them withdraw their candidacies”, reads the report of the Public Defender of Georgia. Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria stated that 52 out of the 59 opposition candidates were representatives of the For Georgia party, six were representatives of the United National Movement and one – of the Third Force-Strategy Builder.
Misuse of administrative resources during the election process and politicisation of public institutions remain key challenges in the run up to local self-government elections to be held on October 2, Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) has reported.
Besarion Bendeliani, opposition For Georgia party mayor candidate in Tsageri claims his car has been shot at last night. "I went out and saw that my car was damaged, [it was] shot at. There was no sound [although] it is a very densely populated place", Bendeliani said. He connects the assault with his political activities.
Police have detained 28-year-old Davit Dautashvili for stabbing two supporters of the opposition United National Movement party in Georgia’s eastern Dmanisi municipality, reports the Interior Ministry.
Acting Mayor of Dmanisi in the Kvemo Kartli region Giorgi Tatuashvili says local members of the ruling Georgian Dream party attacked two opposition supporters during his election meeting in the village of Gantiadi earlier today.
The election banner of the united opposition’s joint candidate for Poti mayor, former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, has been damaged in Poti, Ugulava announced on Facebook. He stated that surveillance cameras are nearby and urged the country’s Interior Ministry to look into the issue.
The Georgian interior ministry has launched an investigation after the car of the mayor of north-western Georgia’s Tsalenjikha municipality was found burning during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday.