Executive secretary claims hundreds of votes stolen from Georgian Dream party

Executive secretary of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia party Mamuka Mdinaradze has revealed that, according to preliminary data, the opposition illegally acquired more than 400 votes in the parliamentary elections held on October 26.  

Mdinaradze made this statement during a press briefing, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

He noted that the opposition had used a scheme in which supporters of Georgian Dream party were secretly registered as members of electoral commissions in remote districts, preventing them from voting in their designated voting areas.

“We are currently investigating up to 420 cases, some of which involve criminal activity. One citizen was registered against his will in another polling station, which prevented him from voting,” Mdinaradze said.

The parliamentary elections were held in Georgia on October 26. According to the Central Election Commission, the ruling "Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia" party received 53.93 per cent of the votes, winning the right to form the government independently. Four opposition parties surpassed the five per cent threshold: "Coalition for Change" with 11 per cent, "United National Movement" with 10.16 per cent, "Strong Georgia" with 8.8 per cent and "Gakharia for Georgia" with 7.76 per cent.

All opposition parties that entered Parliament have refused to recognise the election results, deeming them to be fraudulent. Georgian incumbent President Salome Zourabichvili has also rejected the election outcomes. President Zourabichvili said that the data from the Central Election Commission has been manipulated, and the opposition actually received more votes in total than "Georgian Dream" party thereby securing a majority in the Parliament.

By Naila Huseynova