Georgia's pro-West leader denounces unsettling episodes of physical aggression at voting locations, as significant election proceeds.
Elections kicked off early on a Saturday, with this vote seen as a significant divide between Russia and the Western world's ideologies. The Georgian Dream party, known for its recent shift towards authoritarian governance and halting the nation's advance towards potential EU membership, is looking to win another term in office.
Activist groups and monitoring teams released videos alleging instances of ballot tampering in Marneuli, a town in southern Georgia. Another video showed Azad Karimov, recognized as the chief of the United National Movement (UNM) party's regional committee, getting assaulted outside the 69th precinct's polling station in Marneuli. The videos showed Karimov with a swollen nose and facial injuries.
CNN has not authenticated either video, though reports indicated that voting in that specific precinct had been halted.
The Chief Election Commission (CEC) head called upon Marneuli's election authorities to look into the matter and take necessary action in an emergency briefing.
"This is concerning information," Giorgi Kalandarishvili stated, "and if confirmed, the election administration will not tolerate these isolated, controlled, or manipulated incidents that threaten the months of hard work behind the election day."
Salome Zourabichvili, a pro-Western figure with largely ceremonial powers, admitted difficulty in contacting the Minister of Internal Affairs and commented that "official government links are not functioning." Before the election, she encouraged Georgians to vote against Georgian Dream.
Reports of media equipment damage and physical attacks made headlines. Zourabichvili said in a statement that "many instances of media equipment destruction, direct acts of violence, gatherings to provoke conflict and confrontation have been documented."
"Such actions reflect weakness and I urge everyone to stay strong and resistant to fear and intimidation," she added.
Responding to the allegations from Marneuli, Givi Mikanadze, a member of the Georgian Dream party, stated that anyone obstructing the election process will be appropriately disciplined, while seemingly placing blame on the opposition.
"The opposition has no real argument except to stage provocations because they know they will lose the election," Mikanadze said, according to Imedia Media, a Georgian outlet.
After casting his ballot early on Saturday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze forecasted a 60% victory for Georgian Dream and encouraged the opposition to acknowledge these results. Critics of the government have questioned Kobakhidze's ability to reveal the results in advance.
At 5 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET), the CEC reported a 50.6% voter turnout, which Zourabichvili deemed as "very good."
At 10 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET), the CEC planned to release preliminary results based upon 90% of the votes counted.
The Georgian Dream's stance on EU membership and its authoritarian governance have raised concerns in the international community, particularly in Europe.
If the allegations of election manipulation in Marneuli are confirmed, it could undermine Georgia's reputation on the world stage.
