Election memes lighten up mood on Georgian social media on vote day
Tension among political players was countered by light-hearted takes on events in the country over the past 24 hours. Images via authors on Facebook.
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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.
From former president Mikheil Saakashvili's return to the country in the past week and his arrest by law enforcement on Friday, to the now-customary election day incidents at certain towns and cities, creative citizens published their content in search for laughter.
This picture made use of a scene from the 18th century French satire Gulliver's Travels to adapt it to the circumstances of the return of the wanted Saakashvili to his homeland:
Saakashvili detained on a Batumi beach by Georgian Dream supporters pic.twitter.com/h5OcjIUghe
— Max Fras (@maxfras) October 1, 2021
The same subject of the former president's return after his repeated announcements on departing Ukraine - where he held political office - to cross the Georgian border in run-ups to previous elections was used in this image, with the caption reading: "Hannibal crossing the Alps, 218 BCE":
Image by Dachi Kharaishvili/via Facebook.
Reports of clashes in the southern Georgian town of Marneuli, the western city of Zugdidi and capital Tbilisi - three usual hotspots on polling days - prompted this meme, with the names of the locations placed on characters of the TV series Harry Potter:
Image by Lali Tsertsvadze/via Facebook.
Finally, a scene from a popular film, overlaid with the text: "Hello, 112? We held elections, and looks like everyone is the winner again..." alluded to claims by both the ruling party and the main opposition of advantages gained in the voting during the day:
Image via George Mchedlishvili on Facebook.
A total of 1,815,776 people (51.92 per cent of eligible voters) have cast ballots in the municipal elections as of 8 p.m. today. The Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairperson Giorgi Kalandarishvili thanked everyone for their participation in the elections.
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.
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.
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.
A second round of mayoral elections could be needed in five large cities including Tbilisi where the ruling Georgian Dream party candidate Kakha Kaladze is leading. As of 10 a.m. October 3, the results of 360 precincts out of a total of 769 in Tbilisi are: Kakha Kaladze/Georgian Dream – 45.28% and Nika Melia/United National Movement – 34.27%.