UNM head: opposition winning the ‘referendum,’ we need to boost turnout
Head of the United National Movement Nika Melia has accused the ruling party of bribing and intimidation of voters. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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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.
He claimed that victory in the elections is ‘crucial’ because the race is ‘also a referendum.’
Melia said that the opposition enjoys higher support in big cities ‘as more media outlets are present there and the ruling party has fewer chances to intimate and bribe voters.’
The ruling party, however, says that it is winning the elections and that voters will give a ‘due response’ to the ‘destructive United National Movement’ and ‘its [recently] arrested leader, former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili.’
- The April 2021 EU-mediated agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the majority of opposition parties proposed the holding of repeat parliamentary elections if the ruling Georgian Dream party received less than 43 per cent of votes in the October 2 municipal elections.
- However, ahead of the elections the ruling party withdrew from the agreement ‘because of the refusal of the main opposition party, the UNM, to join.’
- The UNM did not join the agreement because it disliked a stipulation on the amnesty of convicts of June 2019 protests in Tbilisi.
- The opposition parties are still hopeful that the ruling party may accept the holding of repeat parliamentary elections if it receives less than 43 per cent of votes in the upcoming elections..
- However, the Georgian Dream says that ‘no repeat elections will take place.’
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.
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.’
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.
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).
The Georgian Interior Ministry says the public order is being maintained throughout the country to ensure that citizens can cast their ballot in free and safe environment. Ministry representative Natia Kovziashvili said at a news briefing that the ministry representatives are in close communication with the local and international non-government organisations as well as the Public Defender’s Office.
A total of 1,160,413 voters (33.18 per cent of eligible voters) have cast their ballots in the Georgian municipal elections as of 3 p.m. today. Georgia’s Central Election Commission says that Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti is still the most active constituency where 47.5 per cent of registered voters have cast their vote.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili says that the ruling Georgian (GD) party is winning a ‘convincing victory’ in all municipalities in the elections and urged voters to actively participate in the race to ‘strengthen our victory.’ At a briefing earlier today Garibashvili said that ‘today we are able to finally defeat polarisation, destruction, hatred and lies in Georgian politics.’
A Georgian Dream press briefing hours before the closing of polling stations across Georgia alleged a "mobilisation" by opposition supporters at voting locations, while also claiming cases of "misinformation" around the voting process on Saturday.
Traffic on the Rikoti Highway today created difficulties for voters travelling from the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi to the regions or vice versa to cast their votes. The Roads Department of Georgia explains the reason for the restricted traffic was the collapse of a slope. The Roads Department announced that work is underway to restore movement in the shortest possible time.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the united opposition are celebrating victory in the local municipal elections based on exit polls commissioned by various TV channels and prior to the official announcement of the results. The GD has addressed their supporters from the stage and congratulated them on the party’s victory.