Polls for by-elections open in Georgia
Polls opened at 8 pm this morning at 410 polling stations for 402,091 eligible voters. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Georgia is going to the polls today to elect a member of parliament, five mayors and members of eight city councils (Sakrebulo) across the country.
Polls opened at 8 a.m. this morning for 402,091 eligible voters at 410 polling stations.
Elections are being held:
- in the Mtatsminda district of Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi to elect an MP;
- in five municipalities: Marneuli, Zestaponi, Chiatura, Zugdidi and Khulo to elect mayors;
- in eight municipalities: Sagarejo, Akhmeta, Adigeni, Zestaponi, Chiatura, Tkibuli, Tskaltubi and Ozurgeti to elect members of Sakrebulo [city council.]
Municipal elections were held in Georgia in October 2017, while parliamentary elections were held in October 2016. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
The election legislation prohibits any election campaigning at the polling stations on election day.
It also prohibits election campaign paid or free advertisements on TV and radio broadcasters or to publish public opinion polls until the voting ends.
- 6,139 observers of 49 local organisations have registered to monitor by-elections;
- 47 observers of 7 international organisations have registered to observe the race;
- 1,917 representatives of 45 media outlets have registered to cover the Election Day;
- 6,556 representatives of election subjects have also registered to monitor the process.
All the polling stations will close at exactly 8 p.m. and the process of counting votes will begin immediately.
Votes will be counted electronically at eight polling stations of Tkibuli and Tskaltubo in western Georgia.
Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
The Central Election Commission (CEC) called on all voters “to actively participate” in today’s by-elections.
Public Defender Nino Lomjaria also called on everyone involved in the election process “to support the peaceful and safe conduct” of by-elections, including through the prevention of violence.
The Interior Ministry promised to ensure that today’s by-elections will be held in “a free, democratic and safe environment”.
Central Election Commission has reported violations at several election stations. Spokeswoman Ana Mikeladze said observers and members of political party have taken voters’ ID cards and wrote down their data, which is a violation.
Four hours have passed since the opening of polling stations in Georgia and the opposition has already claimed that violations at various polling stations have taken place, while the ruling party claims the elections are underway in a peaceful environment and without violations.
27,256 voters, accounting for 6.8 percent of the total number of voters, cast their ballots in today’s by-elections by 10 a.m., two hours after the polling stations opened in Georgia, the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who has cast his ballot at Mtatsminda polling station No. 5 in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, said law enforcers will ensure that today’s by-elections are held in a democratic and free environment.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has recently stated that she is “actively following” pre-election developments in Georgia and is concerned by the “extremely tense situation” in Zugdidi, the country’s west.
The citizens of Georgia will elect one parliament member, five mayors and members of eight city councils (Sakrebulo) across the country tomorrow, May 19. Polls will open at 8 am at 410 polling stations where 402,091 voters are registered.
Leader of the united opposition, uniting the United National Movement and allied parties, Grigol Vashadze says that 1,400 members of the opposition, 1,000 volunteers and up to 2,000 members of NGOs will be in Zugdidi, in western Georgia, during the May 19 by-elections.
The election office of the Georgian Dream ruling party in the Zugdidi region of western Georgia has released a video to show how the activists of the United National Movement (UNM) attacked an ordinary family in Zugdidi as they refused to host the opposition mayoral candidate, former first lady Sandra Roelofs.
Polling stations closed at 8 p.m. in Georgia where voters cast ballots for a member of parliament, five mayors and members of eight city councils (Sakrebulo) across the country.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) Spokesperson Ana Mikeladze has recently announced that today’s by-elections were held in a “mainly calm environment” and voters had the opportunity to express their will “freely”.