Both ruling party and opposition urge dip corps for help in by-elections
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, May 17
After the opposition, now the Georgian Dream ruling party has addressed the diplomatic corps and observes to help avoid tension and provocations on the May 19 MP and municipal by-elections across Georgia, with the focus on the western town of Zugdidi, where wife of the third president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, Sandra Roelofs is running for the mayor.
Vice Parliament Speaker Tamar Chugoshvili says that the United National Movement and more than 10 allied opposition parties, which presented Roelofs for the position, have plans to send 5,000 activists in Zugdidi on the election day to stir provocations, as 'they have no chances to win.'
'They will try to discredit the elections,' Chugoshvili said, urging dip corps and independent observers to somehow prevent the influx of the activists, 'whose presence at the polling stations' may prevent people from voting.
Chugoshvili said that the police will try their utmost to maintain peace.
“However, if the provocations are large-scaled, it will be a challenge for law enforcers,” Chugoshvili said.
Roelofs and the opposition made the same appeal to dip corps on Wednesday, claiming that the government has plans to rig the elections.
The opposition said that the Zugdidi District Election Commission handed out voters’ lists to polling stations five days before the mandatory date, 'which will be used to influence the voters’ will' [as the lists include personal information and photos of voters].
The Central Election Commission responded that the lists must have been handed out 'no later than May 17' and no violation took place.
However, 'to avoid controversies,' CEC said that the lists were taken back to the district election commission.
CEC also urged observers to focus on Zugdidi, 'as certain parties are trying to discredit our staff and harm the election process.'
Six international and 49 local organisations will observe the elections in Tbilisi and regions.
The elections will be held in Tbilisi to elect the MP for the Mtatsminda district, to replace current President Salome Zurabishvili in parliament.
Voters in the Sagarejo, Akhmeta, Adigeni, Zestaponi, Chiatura, Tkibuli, Tskaltubo and Ozurgeti regions, both in eastern and western Georgia, will elect the members of their city councils on the day.
Mayors of Marneuli, Zestaponi, Chiatura, Zugdidi and Khulo regions will also be elected, as three resigned and two were charged with crimes.
