Central Election Commission: 97 complaints submitted on voting procedures in election run-offs
The Central Election Commission says that the majority of complaints were about procedural violations. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) says that 97 complaints have been presented on voting procedures by 40 observers and 57 representatives of political parties in today’s municipal election run-offs.
The CEC has urged eligible individuals to present their complaints related to violations to district election commissions and not to the CEC.
Otherwise, the complaints will remain undiscussed,” CEC said.
The CEC says that the majority of complaints concerned procedural violations.
The body has responded to alleged double voting with the use of two ID cards, calling such reports ‘disinformation.’
The CEC said that the individual whose two ID cards went viral earlier today changed his surname several years ago and he was eligible to vote with only a single identification document.
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.
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.
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 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.’
Eight cases of alleged violations and breaking of law are under investigation by the interior ministry, with one individual arrested, as clashes at or outside polling stations across Georgia have been reported on municipal runoff day.
The results of exit commissioned by Imedi TV from Gorbi and by opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi channel from Anova have been released following the closure of polling stations in Georgia in the municipal election run-offs. The exit polls offer differing pictures of the results.
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.
The Central Election Commission has reported 219 formal complaints from the election runoff voting by 11pm on Saturday, most of them "procedural" violations.
The preliminary results of the Central Election Commission (CEC) show that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party mayoral candidates are leading in all five large self-governing cities of Georgia. The GD Tbilisi mayor candidate and incumbent mayor Kakha Kaladze leads with 55% in the city where 57% of the votes are counted.
A number of ruling party members have reacted to the results of the municipal election run-offs earlier today which have ended with a victory for the Georgian Dream party mayoral candidates in 19 of 20 municipalities.