EU, US ambassadors encourage public to come out, make their voices heard in municipal run-offs
Georgia is holding municipal run-offs today where a total of 2,088,722 voters, including 1,002,525 in Tbilisi are eligible to elect 20 mayors and 42 majoritarian members of the City Councils (Sakrebulos). Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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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.
Today is elections day… I hope and I would encourage as many voters to come out today and make their voices heard because as we know elections are not determined by the will of the majority, it’s determined by those who decide to come out and cast their vote”, Head of EU delegation to Georgia Carl Hartzell told journalists.
He hoped the voters will be able to come out and vote in a calm and peaceful environment.
In his remarks Ambassador Hartzell also noted that the EU has been working many years to assist Georgia improve its elections, including the 2021 municipal elections ‘where we have been trying as much as we can to create electoral process that is as solid as possible’.
Today, it's time for the people of Georgia to make their voices heard in the second round of local elections. Let me encourage everyone to use this opportunity. I wish all a calm and safe election day! pic.twitter.com/3xS4TXgqx0
— Carl Hartzell (@CarlHartzellEU) October 30, 2021
Although the EU ambassador said he will make his final assessments after the run-offs are over, Hartzell expressed his concern for the ‘raising polarisation’ including during the second round and ‘the harsh rhetoric’.
He said this is ‘not only unfortunate for the elections themselves but also problem when it comes to Georgia to move ahead after the elections no matter what the outcome is going to be in the second round’.
Moving ahead is what this country needs. So a lot of important work have to be invested in order to build bridges and build confidence between different sides in order to succeed in this undertaking”, Carl Hartzell told the journalists.
Ambassador's Remarks to Media After Observing Election Process in Rustavi https://t.co/aLHseiMoPS
— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) October 30, 2021
US Ambassador Kelly Degnan also stressed the importance of the election day ‘when the citizens come out and cast their votes, hold their leaders accountable, and make sure their leaders understand what their priorities are, whether it’s jobs or roads or water or healthcare’.
This is the day when the citizens are heard, and I’m very pleased to see in the precincts I’ve visited so far, a very calm environment with well-organised voting spaces, and also prepared for COVID”, she told the journalists in Rustavi.
Hoping that people will come out to vote in masks, let their voices be heard and hold the leaders accountable, Ambassador Degnan said ‘this is the essence of democracy’.
Georgia is holding municipal run-offs today where a total of 2,088,722 voters, including 1,002,525 in Tbilisi are eligible to elect 20 mayors and 42 majoritarian members of the City Councils (Sakrebulos).
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.
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.
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.
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. A total of 2,088,722 registered voters can elect mayors and city council (Sakrebulo) members at 1,830 polling stations countrywide.
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.