Georgia’s pro-Western president condemns ‘disturbing incidents of violence’ at polling stations, with crucial vote underway

CNN
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Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili condemned “deeply disturbing incidents of violence occurring at various polling stations” as the country votes in a crucial parliamentary elections.

Voting began early Saturday in an election seen as a tough choice between Russia and the West. The ruling Georgian Dream party, which in recent years has taken a sharp authoritarian turn and blocked the country’s progress towards potential European Union membership, is running for re-election.

Activists and monitoring groups shared images they said showed ballots at a polling station in Marneuli, southern Georgia.

Another video showed a man, identified in local media as Azad Karimov – head of the regional organization of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party – being assaulted by several men outside the polling station in Ward 69 of Marneuli. Photos show Karimov with a bloody nose and cuts on his face.

CNN has not verified any of the videos. Voting was suspended at that polling station, local media reported.

In an emergency briefing, the CEC chief asked Marneuli’s election officials to investigate the incident and take appropriate action.

“This information is worrying, and the electoral administration, if confirmed, will not allow such isolated, controlled or manipulative incidents to undermine the many months of efforts we have made on election day,” said Giorgi Kalandarishvili.

Zourabichvili, a pro-Western figure whose powers are largely ceremonial, said he had been unable to reach the interior minister and that “official government lines are not working”. Before the election, Zourabichvili urged Georgians to vote against the Georgian Dream.

“In some cases, media equipment was destroyed and direct acts of violence took place. The groups gathered with the sole purpose of causing conflict and confrontation,” Zourabichvili said in a statement to CNN. “It reflects weakness and I urge everyone not to be intimidated by it.”

Responding to the reports in Marneuli, Georgian Dream politician Givi Mikanadze said “anyone who obstructs the electoral process” would be punished, but appeared to blame the incident on the opposition.

“The opposition has no other tangible factor than that of organizing provocations, because they know they will lose the elections,” he said, according to Imedia Media, a Georgian channel.

After casting his vote on Saturday morning, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told reporters that Georgian Dream would get 60 percent of the vote and called on opposition parties to recognize those results. Government critics questioned how Kobakhidze could know the results in advance.

The CEC reported turnout at 50.6 percent at 5 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET), which Zourabichvili said was “very high.”

At 10:00 p.m. local time (2:00 p.m. ET), the CEC will announce preliminary results based on 90% of the votes counted.