Ruling party reacts to results of municipal election run-offs
Incumbent Tbilisi mayor and candidate Kakha Kaladze from the GD took 55.6% of the vote over the UNM’s Nika Melia. The UNM candidate Giorgi Kharchilava won in Tsalenjikha with 51.11% over the GD’s Goga Gulordava. Photo: Georgian Dream/Facebook.
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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.
Incumbent Tbilisi mayor and candidate Kakha Kaladze from the GD took 55.6% of the vote over the UNM’s Nika Melia.
We have delivered the victory together! pic.twitter.com/5Aj9kfO4Mq
— Georgian Dream (@GeorgianDream41) October 30, 2021
The UNM candidate Giorgi Kharchilava won in Tsalenjikha with 51.11% over the GD’s Goga Gulordava.
Responding to the official results of the Central Election Commission (CEC), Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said now the primary goal of the government is to continue development in a peaceful and stable environment.
My sincere congratulations to all the @GeorgianDream41 candidates who have obtained victory in 2021 local elections! I wish them every success in fulfilling this responsible mission & serving their people. It is our primary goal to continue devt in a peaceful, stable environment! pic.twitter.com/cYEcrw10V9
— David Zalkaliani (@DZalkaliani) October 31, 2021
Member of Parliament and First Deputy Chairman of EU Integration Committee Levan Karumidze said in his post on Twitter that winning by 92,472 votes ‘is a solid win’.
To simplify things ⬇️
— Levan Karumidze (@KarumidzeL) October 31, 2021
Out of 985,186 votes in the run-offs across #Georgia:@GeorgianDream41 received 538,829 votes (54.7%)@UNMGeorgia received 446,357 votes (45.3%)
That's a difference of 92 472 votes (10.3%) and that, is a solid win ladies and gentlemen! ????️????????#Gvote2021
Member of Georgian Parliament Nino Tsilosani said in her post on Twitter that the Georgian people rejected the United National Movement and that in the second round of elections the public declared that former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has been arrested within the law.
Briefly, it appears, that Georgian people
— Nino Tsilosani (@ninotsilosani19) October 31, 2021
- rejected National Movement on so called “ Referendum” first round of municipal elections
And
- In the second round, our society declared that Mikheil Saakashvili is arrested within the law
I am very proud of Georgian People ???????? pic.twitter.com/4jMdx1ayeL
'A well-deserved victory, they say. Others agree and I agree too', Deputy Chair of the Educational and Science Committee of the Parliament Tamar Taliashvili noted in her Twitter post.
❗A well deserved victory - they say, others agree & I agree too????????????????????
— Tamar Taliashvili (@TTaliashvili) October 30, 2021
Yes - to #Georgia's #European way ????
Lets move ahead with hard work & positive state of mind in the name of #Democracy & #HumanRights ???? pic.twitter.com/sDK4ug0kiM
OSCE/ODIHR and European Parliament (EP) observation missions noted that the Georgian municipal election run-offs were ‘generally competitive and organised professionally’, but increasing polarizations and negative rhetoric, as well as allegations of voter intimidation and the ‘continuing advantage of incumbency, demonstrated the need for further reforms.’
Chairman of the United National Movement (UNM) Nika Melia, who has now officially lost the Tbilisi mayoral elections to the ruling Georgian Dream’s Kakha Kaladze in yesterday's run-off elections has called the municipal elections ‘void,’ and asked his supporters to gather near the parliament this evening to hear the united opposition’s action plan.
Melia claims that one of the country’s ‘strategic partners’ also agrees that the elections are ‘void.’ However, he refrained from providing more detail.
Grigol Gegelia from the opposition Lelo party said that the elections in Georgia have ‘lost sense,’ and the opposition will use all measures against the government, including rallies and international pressure.
The official results of the Central Election Commission (CEC) for the 2021 municipal election run-offs in Georgia show that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party mayoral candidates have won in 19 municipalities, while the opposition United National Movement (UNM) contender has won in just one. Incumbent Tbilisi mayor and candidate Kakha Kaladze from the GD took 55.6% of the votes over the UNM’s Nika Melia, with 100% of the votes counted.
OSCE/ODIHR and European Parliament (EP) observation missions have assessed Georgian municipal election run-offs held yesterday, stating that the race ‘was generally competitive and organized professionally’, but increasing polarization and negative rhetoric, as well as allegations of voter intimidation and the ‘continuing advantage of incumbency, demonstrated the need for further reforms.
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.
Transparency International (TI) Georgia, which monitored the October 30 municipal run-offs, says that the public may have ‘legitimate questions’ regarding the ‘overall fairness of the elections.’ TI Georgia claims that violations, including physical confrontations, interference in the work of observers and journalists, and the admittance of voters to polling stations without checking electoral ink stamps, might have had a ‘serious impact’ on election results.
Former Georgian prime minister Giorgi Gakharia, who now chairs the opposition For Georgia party, says the October 30 municipal run-offs were ‘neither free, nor fair’. Gakharia, who left the prime minister’s post and the ruling Georgian Dream party earlier this year run for Tbilisi mayor in municipal elections, but ended the race third.
The EU delegation to Georgia says that the October 30 municipal election run-offs in Georgia were generally well administered, the campaign was competitive, but that serious issues persist with an escalation of ‘negative rhetoric, persistent allegations of intimidation and pressure on voters and sharp imbalances in resources, which benefited the ruling party and tilted the playing field.’
The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party has changed the date for a large rally in central Tbilisi this week to protest the results of the recent municipal elections.
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) will recount the votes of 140 district election commissions, in line with recent legal changes which oblige the CEC to recount a certain number of votes to verify their validity.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has met with the newly elected mayors from municipalities across Georgia and pledged the support of the central government in the undertaking of various projects.