Elections in Georgia passed with fights, attacks on journalists and ended in criminal cases

The Georgian Interior Ministry opened eight criminal cases and detained one person on the day of the second round of municipal elections. Disputes at the precincts often ended in fights, one of the candidates was hit on the head.

How report local media referring to Ketevan Kovziashvili, Director of the Department of Strategic Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at one of the polling stations in Kareli, a member of the United National Movement opposition party hit a journalist of the Monitoring TV company. A criminal case was initiated on obstruction of the activities of a journalist and violence at a polling station, one person was detained.

Another journalist was attacked in Poti. The microphone was taken away from the employee of the Pirveli TV company, she suffered minor bodily injuries. A criminal case was initiated on obstruction of the journalist’s activities.

In Gonio, not far from a polling station, several citizens attacked a Formula TV car. Prior to that, the same people entered into a verbal skirmish with the journalists of Formula and Mtavari. A criminal case was initiated due to “damage to things”.

In Tbilisi, a man was beaten by a group of people after he noticed a violation of the electoral law and took away the lists of agitators. The case was opened under the article “violence”. Also in the capital, an observer from the National Movement Party was beaten. This happened after he filmed on camera some people sitting in the car of a resident of the area. The observer went to the clinic.

Also, two fights took place in Zugdidi and Senaki, the police opened criminal cases under the article “violence”.

On October 30, elections were held in Georgia for the heads of 20 municipalities, including mayors of five cities with the status of self-governing units – Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Poti and Rustavi. Also, deputies were elected to municipal assemblies.

There are no results yet, both the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition from the United National Movement claim their victory, exit polls give conflicting information.

The exit poll, commissioned by the government channel Imedi, testifies to the victory of the ruling party. The main pre-election headquarters of the United National Movement followed the results of the exit poll of the opposition TV channel Mtavari, according to which the opposition won.