Traffic on Rikoti Highway hampering voters from voting in regions
The Roads Department announced that work is underway to restore movement in the shortest possible time. Photo: On.ge.
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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.
At the 155th kilometer of the Tbilisi-Senaki-Leselidze road of international importance (Rikoti section), part of the land collapsed on the adjacent slope of the road, due to which the road was partially closed", the Roads Department said.
The Roads Department announced that work is underway to restore movement in the shortest possible time.
Movement Droa posted this video on its Twitter account:
"This is happening now at Rikoti, people can't travel to the west and vote, they've been standing for 1.5 hours." - @Zuraja #GVote21 pic.twitter.com/0fXGfHQNbi
— Droa (@MovementDroa) October 2, 2021
Leader of opposition party Girchi - More Freedom Zurab Japaridze shared a video of the traffic jam on the Rikoti Highway on his Facebook page with a caption reading: "It is impossible for this to be a coincidence".
Japaridze wrote that due to the delay, people are unable to enter the regions or Tbilisi to vote.
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.
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.’
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.
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.
An opposition Labour Party supporter has been allegedly stabbed at polling station No. 52 in Marneuli, Kvemo Kartli region. Eivaz Mamedov, 35, has been delivered to the hospital, Formula TV reports. The Labour Party member Ali Badirov accuses ruling Georgian Dream party supporter Gurkhan Ramazanov, in committing the offence.
The opposition United National Movement majoritarian candidate for Isani constituency Khatia Dekanoidze has posted on her Facebook page that the light went out in the biggest polling stations in the western Georgian city of Kutaisi.
On the day political tension reached its peak as citizens headed to polling stations in Georgia's municipal elections, some social media users lightened up their day by finding humour in developments over the previous 24 hours.