Polls for municipal run-offs open in Tbilisi, 19 other constituencies
A total of 2,088,722 registered voters will elect 20 mayors and 42 majoritarian members of the City Councils (Sakrebulos) at 1,830 polling stations countrywide. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Tweet 
Share
Georgian is holding municipal run-offs in 20 of 64 election constituencies, including all five big cities of Georgia - Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Batumi and Poti.
The remaining 15 constituencies where mayoral run-offs also take place include: Telavi, Tianeti, Khashuri, Kareli, Tsageri, Bagdati, Tskaltubo, Ozurgeti, Senaki, Martvili, Khobi, Zugdidi, Tsalenjkha, Chkhorotsku and Khelvachauri.
A total of 2,088,722 registered voters will elect 20 mayors and 42 majoritarian members of the City Councils (Sakrebulos) at 1,830 polling stations countrywide.
29 polling stations for COVID-19 patients and individuals in self-isolation, as well as eight polling stations for exceptional situations are also available.
All of the coronavirus regulations are maintained at the polling stations. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
The mayoral run-offs in 17 of 20 constituencies are held between the candidates of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the opposition United National Movement (UNM), while in three other constituencies GD candidates are competing with the representatives of For Georgia and For United Georgia parties as well as an independent candidate.
Candidates from nine parties, including the GD, UNM, For Georgia, Lelo, Girchi–More Freedom, European Socialists, United Georgia–Democratic Movement, Tamaz Mechiauri for United Georgia and Free Georgia, as well as an independent candidate, participate in the majoritarian run-offs.
Calling on the public to participate in the municipal election run-offs the Central Election Commission (CEC) chair Giorgi Kalandarishvili has announced that the environment at the polling stations will be in full line with the Covid-19 regulations enabling the voters to exercise their civil right safely.
The CEC has also announced that 5,309 representatives from parties, 35,198 observers of 100 local organisations and 1,202 foreign observers from 52 international organisations are registered to monitor the October 30 run-offs, while 3,711 representatives of 119 media outlets will cover the election day.
The second round of municipal elections will take place in Georgia tomorrow, including in all big cities of the country, amid a polarized political environment and continued rivalry between the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the main opposition, the United National Movement. The GD claims they will ‘finally defeat and end the UNM’ in the race, describing it ‘as an evil force’ which has been hampering development for 18 years, while the UNM still hopes the run-offs will lead to snap parliamentary elections ‘and the changing of the GD government.’
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has called on the public to participate in the municipal election run-offs which will be held in Georgia on October 30. The CEC announced earlier today that the run-off will be held in 5 self-governing cities, 15 municipalities and 24 election districts.
A second round of municipal elections in Georgia will be held on October 30 as some candidates did not receive enough votes to overcome the mandatory threshold, including in Tbilisi, based on the preliminary results of the Central Election Commission (CEC).
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).
Georgian Parliament Speaker Kakha Kuchava has cast his ballot in today’s municipal run-offs saying he voted for the ruling party candidate Kakha Kaladze.
Ruling Georgian Dream party chair Irakli Kobakhide, who has cast his ballot in today’s municipal run-offs, said the choice is ‘very simple’ between the two political forces – the Georgian Dream and the opposition United National Movement.
A total of 154,163 voters (7.38 per cent of eligible voters) have cast their ballots in the Georgian municipal run-offs as of 10 a.m. today. Voter turnout in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi stands at 7.4 per cent.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who has cast her ballot in today’s municipal run-offs, said she hopes polarisation will end in Georgia.
A total of 358,782 voters (17.18 per cent of eligible voters) have cast their ballots in the Georgian municipal run-offs as of 12 p.m. today. Meanwhile, the voter turnout stands at 16.5 per cent in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi where a total of 164,929 voters have cast their ballots.
United States Ambassador Kelly Degnan and Head of European Union Delegation Carl Hartzell encourage the public to come out and make their voices heard in today’s municipal run-offs in Georgia.
Transparency International (TI) Georgia says that its observers have recorded 50 minor and serious violations during today’s municipal election run-offs, as of 13:30.
United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, who is ‘happy to see voters coming out and casting their votes’ calls for a calm atmosphere on Election Day. Degnan told journalists at the Krtsanisi constituency in Tbilisi that at the places she has visited the environment was calm, while the precincts have been well organised and well administered. However, the embassy has people all over Georgia, who are seeing very different things in some parts of the country.
Police have detained several people amid physical confrontations at Zugdidi electoral district. Zugdidi mayoral candidate from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Mamuka Tsotseria accused the United National Movement (UNM) activists of staging provocations.
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics and Coalition for Media Advocacy have called on the ruling Georgian Dream party not to encourage violence against journalists.