Fewer votes for Melia
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, June 19
Transparency International Georgia (TI) claims that there were shortcomings in the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) figures in terms of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) candidate Nika Melia.
The NGO claims that its observers counted more votes for Melia than were released by the CEC.
“There are cases in three precincts where Melia received 100 votes less each than he really received,” the organization states.
Responding to the statement, Melia said that the cases have already been appealed to the Central Election Commission.
“There is a case when I got 138 votes and 1 is deleted in the report. Of course, the CEC will make an adequate evaluation to the gaps. There are also too many ballot papers annulled where I was circled. We are interested in this issue as well,” Melia stated.
The head of the Central Election Commission, Tamar Zhvania, states that the gaps were related to “mechanical shortcomings.”
“I do not exclude the same mistakes to be made concerning other candidates as well. In the case of Melia, an operator recorded the figures in the computer database by mistake. Our operators are rechecking all the reports and the final data represented by us will be precise,” Zhvania said.
Melia took second place in the Tbilisi mayoral race. He was defeated by the coalition candidate Davit Narmania. The figures were as such: Narmania-46%, Melia-27%. The two candidates will compete in the run-off as Narmania failed to overcome 50% threshold.
The Georgian Dream and Narmania are sure that they will win the elections again. Melia states that the run-off will change the situation in favor of him.
