Georgian opposition politician fined for throwing paint at CEC chairman

A member of the Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) from the opposition party United National Movement, David Kirtadze, has been fined 500 lari (approximately $183) after throwing paint in the face of CEC Chairman Giorgi Kalandariashvili.

Thus, Tbilisi City Court imposed the fine following an investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Caliber.Az reports referring to foreign media.

The case was pursued under the Criminal Code provision for intentionally causing minor bodily harm.

The incident occurred on November 16 during a CEC meeting. After accusing the commission of election fraud, Kirtadze approached Kalandariashvili and splashed black paint in his face from a glass. The meeting was temporarily halted as a result of the disruption.

To recap, David Kirtadze, an opposition member, threw black paint at Giorgi Kalandarishvili, the head of the CEC during a Central Election Commission (CEC) meeting in Tbilisi on November 16. The incident occurred as the commission reviewed the final protocol of Georgia's parliamentary elections, held on October 26.

The elections saw the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party win 54.3% of the vote, securing its 12th consecutive year in power. However, opposition parties strongly protested the results, with several boycotting parliamentary sessions and others, including the Coalition for Change, rejecting their seats and state funding.

Following the election, President Salome Zourabichvili called for mass protests and demanded new elections to resolve the political crisis. Zourabichvili’s comments came during a press conference with EU parliamentary leaders, who voiced concerns over the legitimacy of the election outcome. The meeting was abruptly suspended following the paint attack.

By Aghakazim Guliyev