Georgia holding presidential election

A presidential election is being held in Georgia today amid continued opposition protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party and outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili refusing to leave her post.

Voting is underway from early morning to elect Georgia’s sixth President at the plenary session hall of the Parliament in Tbilisi.

Under new rules defined by the Constitution, the President is no longer elected directly, through universal suffrage. Instead, the country's Central Election Commission has formed an electoral college, consisting of 300 members, to elect the President. 

The voting is open and the election procedure, which is to end at 14:00, is being carried out in alphabetical order.

The electoral college includes 150 members of the Parliament, while the other 150 involve 20 members from the Supreme Council of the Abkhazia region, 21 from the Supreme Council of the Adjara region, and 109 formed from representatives of local self-government bodies.

Police forces are being mobilised in the vicinity of the Parliament building, with iron barriers installed, including the area in front of the legislative building where the Christmas tree and stage are placed, as well as on Freedom Square with water cannon vehicles deployed in place.