Second Round of Elections Scheduled for October 30 in Georgia

TBILISI - Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) announced that the second round of parliamentary elections would be held on October 30 in 50 single-mandate constituencies, 18 of which are located in the capital Tbilisi.

Voting will be re-run at one polling station in Marneuli, south of Tbilisi, and in three precincts in Zugdidi in western Georgia.

The initial election results in each were invalidated by the CEC after violent clashes marred the voting process on October 8.

A group of people attempted to raid a polling station in the Marneuli region village of Kizilajlo. In Zugdidi, two precincts were attacked during the first round in the village of Jikhashkari.

In both locations, the attackers attempted to seize the ballot boxes while the polls were still open.

Three political parties crossed the 5 per cent threshold to gain seats in the next parliament, including the ruling Georgian Dream with 48.668 per cent, the main opposition United National Movement – 27.111 per cent and the ultranationalist, pro-Russian Alliance of Patriots – 5.006 per cent.

Georgian Dream and United National Movement candidates are expected to face each other in run-offs in 44 districts.

Georgia has a 150-seat parliament, with 73 MPs elected in majoritarian, single-mandate constituencies. The remaining 77 seats are awarded to MPs elected in proportional voting based on party lists.

By Thea Morrison

Edited by Nicholas Waller