39 Polling Stations Annulled

Total of 39 polling stations have been annulled by election administrations and courts to date, the governmental inter-agency group on elections said on May 28.

The election administrations have annulled results of 27 precincts for both the proportional and majoritarian voting and in two cases votes cast in the proportional, party-list based system were annulled. These polling stations are:

• Marneuli District – Precincts number 34; 71; 76; 56; 13; 58;
• Sagarejo District – Precinct 47;
• Gori District – Precincts 58; 32;
• Khelvachauri District – Precinct 38;
• Kobuleti District – Precincts 15; 43; 2;
• Mtskheta District – Precinct 18;
• Gardabani District – Precincts 25; 59; 58;
• Saburtalo District – Precinct 27;
• Tsalka District – Precinct 42;
• Ambrolauri District – Precinct 7;
• Mtatsminda District – Precinct 5;
• Batumi District – Precinct 53;
• Signagi District – Precinct 13;
• Tsageri District – Precinct 26;
• Nadzaladevi District – Precinct 41;
• Krtsanisi District – Precincts 29; 30; 31;
• Akhaltsikhe District – Precinct 4;

The governmental inter-agency group said following “grave violations,” were observed at those polling stations: ballot stuffing (seven cases); multiple voting (five cases); proxy voting (four cases); pressure or intimidation of local observers (three cases); damage to the ballot box (two cases); incorrect compilation of the protocol (two cases); or quarrel at the polling station (two cases).

In addition, the courts have annulled results of following 12 polling stations to date:

• Gldani District – Precinct 34;
• Gori District – Precinct 48;
• Gurjaani District – Precinct 6;
• Marneuli District – Precincts 48; 50; 79;
• Mtskheta District – Precinct 17;
• Nadzaladevi District – Precinct 71;
• Sagarejo District – Precincts 36; 37; 38;
• Tsalka District – Precinct 43;

Meanwhile, the opposition Republican Party released on May 28 a video footage allegedly showing, as Republican Party said, “chairman of the District Election Commission in Batumi, member of the same district election commission appointed by the National Movement and [the ruling party] activists” manipulating with the sealed envelopes containing election materials from the polling stations. Davit Berdzenishvili, who was a majoritarian MP candidate in Batumi (he lost the race to the ruling party candidate with 14.45% to 52.5%), said election results in the entire Batumi district should be annulled based on this violation.

The Central Election Commission said that the Republican Party handed over the footage for investigation to the General Prosecutor’s Office and it was no now in the position to react. “The CEC will also react in the event [the Republican Party] appeals the case to the commission,” Zurab Kachkachishvili told Civil.Ge on May 29.