Georgia is voting to elect the 10th convocation parliament. The polling stations were opened throughout the country at 8:00 local time.
Among the first to vote was Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili. "I want to congratulate everyone on today’s event… It is important that today citizens vote in very difficult conditions of a pandemic. I want to urge everyone to come to the polling stations and vote. You should not be afraid of anything, as all protection measures are observed, ” she said, Sputnik Georgia reports.
Zurabishvili added that today, citizens vote to build the country they dream about. "This is a European country, this is a democratic country. And today we make another step in this direction," she said.
Among the first voters were also the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the opposition European Georgia party, David Bakradze, the leader of the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party, Giorgi Vashadze.
Early in the morning, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia also took part in the parliamentary elections. "I voted for a European, Western state, which is built on democratic values, justice, and economically strong foundation, the state and people who know the price of freedom and dignity. I voted for the future," Gakharia said.
At 10.00, the turnout was 8.33%, the speaker of the Georgian CEC Anna Mikeladze said. According to her, almost 295 000 citizens voted.
"The highest activity is in the 19th majoritarian constituency in Racha-Lechkhumi - Kvemo Svaneti - the activity there is 11.8%, and the lowest - in the 28th, 29th and 30th majoritarian constituencies in the Adjara region, where the activity at 10:00 amounted to 7.3%,” Mikeladze added.
In 2016, the turnout by 10:00 was 8.34%, thus, the pandemic does not affect the turnout. Note, elections are considered valid at any voter turnout. The turnout by noon amounted to 19.41%.
The 120 deputies will be elected through proportional party lists, and 30 as majoritarians.
The threshold to enter the legislature is 1 percent. 55 parties are participating in the elections, of which seven are united into two blocs - Strength is in Unity and Strategy Aghmashenebeli. In the first block, there are five parties, and in the second - two.
The parliamentary competition is 57 people per seat.
Observers make up the first complaints, mostly related to procedural violations. Observers of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association have filed more than ten complaints by this time.
Whether the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party is to remain in power or the opposition, led by Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement, will prevail to be decided at these elections.
