This parliamentary election is broadly considered a defining level for the nation’s worldwide standing — it may decide whether or not Georgia tilts towards the EU or Moscow.
Opposition politician Ana Natsvlishvili from the Sturdy Georgia social gathering mentioned legislation enforcement authorities have been idle, although “organized prison gangs … are making an attempt to undermine the voting course of with aggression and intimidation.”
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili urged the Inside Ministry to take away criminals from polling locations.
The ruling Georgian Dream social gathering’s parliamentary chief, Mamuka Mdinaradze, speculated that an opposition TV channel is perhaps “staging particular operations” to create the impression of chaos.
A polling station in Marneuli, a city in southern Georgia, was closed down after a video circulated on-line exhibiting a person, recognized as a ruling social gathering consultant, stuffing a poll field with dozens of ballots. An investigation was launched into potential “election fraud,” and Georgia’s Central Election Committee mentioned the ballots forged at that polling station might be invalidated.
Georgia’s Central Election Fee reported voter turnout at 41.62 p.c as of three p.m. Tbilisi time.