Ruling party says provocations expected on election day, urges supporters to stay calm
Head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze has asked party voters not to be ‘provoked’ by supporters of the ‘radical opposition.’ Photo: GD press office.
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The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party head Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that ‘provocations are expected from the radical opposition’ on election day today and urged party supporters to stay calm and ‘not to respond to any provocation.’
I once again urge voters to cast their ballots. The Georgian people will give a due response to radical opposition forces in the country and the Georgian Dream will win the race,” Kobakhidze said.
Kobakhidze thanked the country’s election administration for its professionalism.
Polling stations have been opened without obstacles and the election day is going on smoothly,” Kobakhidze said.
Today Georgians will elect 2,068 members of 64 city assemblies and 64 mayors.
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) has dismissed reports by the Civic Election Commission movement that Kutaisi district election commission forgot to send election registrators’ seals to polling stations.
Joint opposition candidate for head of Tbilisi City Assembly, founder of the Droa opposition party, Elene Khoshtaria has cast her ballot in today’s municipal elections and said that the country’s fate is in the hands of voters.
Eleven days are left until the October 2 municipal elections in Georgia when voters will elect 64 mayors and 2,068 members in 64 city councils. The lead up to the elections has been marked by the ruling party’s withdrawal from the April 19 EU-mediated agreement, an attack on journalists by right-wing activists in July during Tbilisi Pride events, the recent leak of alleged personal files and continued vows of Georgia’s ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili that he will return.
Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who now leads the opposition For Georgia party, has cast his ballot in today’s municipal elections and said that 'these are elections between the past and the future'. He called on the public to participate in the elections.
Georgia is holding municipal elections today. Voters will elect 2,068 members of 64 city assemblies and 64 mayors.They will receive three different ballot papers at the polling station.43 political parties have been registered for the October 2 elections.A total of 3,743 polling stations have been established in 73 election constituencies (including nine polling stations in prisons and 70 special polling stations for the individuals who are in self-isolation because of coronavirus).
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says that today’s municipal elections are a test for Georgian democracy, ‘which I hope that Georgia will successfully pass’, he said earlier today.
A total of 259,273 voters (7.41 per cent of eligible voters) have cast their ballots in the Georgian municipal elections as of 10 a.m. today. Georgia’s Central Election Commission says that the most active constituency is currently Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti where 11.2 per cent of registered voters have cast their vote.
The ruling Georgian Dream party head Irakli Kobakhidze says that former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili served Russian interests in Georgia for nine years when he was in power and 'now he is where he belongs.’ "He handed over 20% of our country's territories to the Russian Federation. He came to Georgia to continue working with Russia", Kobakhidze said.
Head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia, who is running for Tbilisi mayor, has stated that the opposition is winning the municipal elections and urged voters to actively participate in the race to ‘boost the difference’ in the votes received by the ruling party and the opposition.