Election results annulled in two polling stations
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Thursday, June 19
According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), outcomes of two polling stations in the Marneuli region were annulled on June 17.
Rejection of the results was caused by the video released by the opposition United National Movement on June 17. The United National Movement released two videos. One reflected an unidentified man stuffing multiple election papers into the official ballot box and the second detected a former Deputy President of the Judo Federation, Tamaz Naveriani, who was inside the closed zone without any official permission.
According to the CEC, the number of ballots cast has exceeded the number of voters who showed up at that polling station on the Election Day by 84.
Member on the United National Movement (UNM), Zurab Japaridze, said that the second round must be held in Marneuli. It should be noted that the Marneuli race was won by the coalition candidate Merab Topchishvili, who removed his candidacy prior to the elections. However, the verbal statement was not reflected on the ballot paper. After the elections Topchishvili said that he would take the post. The same statements were made by the coalition officials.
“Naveriani had an order from Topchishvili to falsify the elections,” Japaridze stresses.
Naveriani denied all the accusations, stating that the video released by the UNM was a fake.
The coalition member Zurab Abashidze said that there is no need for a run-off in Marneuli.
“Just all the facts of violations should be investigated,” Abashidze stated.
According to the head of the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, Kakha Kozhoridze, any person without permission inside the polling station is a violation.
Topchishvili received 51.81% of total votes, while previously he enjoyed 52.48%. According to the CEC, if more results are annulled, there might be a need for a second round in the region.
