Ruling party head: GD winning in 18 municipalities out of 20
Kobakhidze noted that there will be no elections until 2024, stating that ‘four hours are left before the final victory.’Photo: GD press office.
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The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party head Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that the GD is winning in 18 out of 20 municipalities, saying that in the remaining two municipalities the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party is close to 50% threshold.
Local self-government election run-offs are held today in 20 of 64 election constituencies, including the five large cities of Georgia - Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Batumi and Poti.
Kobakhidze has called on Georgian citizens to actively participate in the second round of the elections, noting that ‘so evil [refering to the UNM] does not prevail in any municipality.’
More activity is needed to prevent the victory of the force in any municipality whose sole purpose is to create unrest in the country,” Kobakhidze said.
He noted that there will be no elections until 2024, stating that ‘four hours are left before the final victory.’
Ipsos polls commissioned by opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi
Kobakhidze has touched upon the issue of a possible libel lawsuit against the international France-based company Ipsos by Mtavari Arkhi and stated that ‘it shows how desperate the UNM is.’
Mtavari Arkhi’s general director, Nika Gvaramia, said yesterday that Ipsos breached the contract by uploading pre-election results on its website which were different from the numbers they reported to Mtavari Arkhi.
Overall 2,088,722 voters are eligible to participate in the municipal run-offs. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
The ruling party MP Shalva Papuashvili has stated that the exit polls conducted by Mtavari Arkhi can not be trusted as ‘they are writing numbers in the offices.’
The voting process at the municipal run-offs
Papuashvili underscored that the UNM and the opposition-minded TV channels are trying to create chaos, noting that ‘in fact, the election is taking place in a calm atmosphere.’
I appeal to the media and the UNM to stop the speculations because this is an attempt to discredit the elections,” Papuashvili said.
He also said that incidents were reported only in five polling stations out of 1,800.
There was one serious incident in Zugdidi, the UNM supporters were distinguished by provocations,” Papuashvili said.
A total of 1,830 polling stations are open nationwide in Georgia.
In 17 of the 20 election constituencies, the candidates of the GD and the UNM opposition are competing, while in the remaining three constituencies, the ruling party faces the For Georgia party.
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.
Five people have been detained for physical assault near polling station No. 20 in the western Georgian town of Zugdidi, the Interior Ministry reports. The ministry representative Ketevan Kovziashvili has informed the public of the activities aimed to ensure safe and peaceful environment during the municipal run-offs.
The opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV channel, which commissioned election polls from the international research company Ipsos, has suspended its cooperation with the latter. Mtavari Arkhi’s general director, Nika Gvaramia, explained that Ipsos breached the contract by uploading pre-election results on its website which were different from the numbers they reported to Mtavari Arkhi.
Election polls commissioned by the opposition-oriented TV channel Mtavari Arkhi says that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) mayoral candidate and incumbent Kakha Kaladze will receive 51.6%, while Nika Melia from the United National Movement (UNM) will get 48.4% in municipal election run-offs in Tbilisi on October 30.
A total of 825,129 voters (39.5 per cent of eligible voters) have cast their ballots in the Georgian municipal run-offs as of 5 p.m. today.
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.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who has cast his ballot in today’s municipal elections, said he voted for the country’s ‘peaceful development.’ PM Garibashvili, who arrived at the polling station with his family, asked the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) supporters to cast their ballots as well.
The chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Irakli Kobakhidze has said that according to the data by 7 p.m, GD is winning the municipal run-offs in all 20 municipalities. The local self-government election run-offs are held today in 20 out of 64 election constituencies, including the five large cities of Georgia: Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Batumi and Poti.
Tbilisi mayor candidate from the United National Movement (UNM) Nika Melia and the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party members Beka Davituliani and Giorgi Amilakhvari have clashed at the polling station in Vazisubani district in Tbilisi earlier today due to a power outage at the spot.
Both Tbilisi mayoral candidates Kakha Kaladze and Nika Melia from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the United National Movement (UNM) celebrate the victory in the municipal election run-offs ahead of the official announcement of the results.