Garibashvili Scolds Journalists After Casting Ballot
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili scolded journalists during press remarks after casting his vote at the #11 polling station in the Vake district of the capital, Tbilisi.
PM Garibashvili urged Mtavari Arkhi TV reporter Dea Mamiseishvili to “behave politely” as several journalists tried to pose questions, talking over each other. He went on to call the government-critical network’s journalist an “aggressor” and a “provocateur.”
Seconds later, the Prime Minister also “recommended” a journalist of a Ukrainian TV network to train herself “a little bit more to put the right questions,” after she asked the PM about who would be responsible if jailed ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili commits suicide.
Following Irakli Garibashvili’s remarks, the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics, a non-state self-regulatory body, stated the ruling Georgian Dream party’s “aggressive rhetoric on the polling day has a negative influence on the journalists’ safety and their professional activities.”
Georgian citizens are back to polling stations today to elect 20 municipality mayors, including those of 5 self-governing cities and 42 majoritarian members of municipality/city councils (Sakrebulos) across 24 municipalities, in the second round of local elections.
Follow our Election Live Blog for more updates on the October 30 municipal elections.
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