Parliamentary polls in Georgia on October 1 were seen as a key test of competing visions of the country's political course. Follow the elections and their aftermath with RFE/RL.
Via Franak Viachorka in the village of Tulari in Sagarajo region:
After stamping his fingers with the ink used to mark voters, 90% of it dissapeared after he washed his hands.
12:181.10.2012
Hearing from more observers that things have been smooth sailing. Biggest problem seems to be ballot shortages. #gvote
"As polling stations opened this morning, some 20,000 voting observers, most of them from NGOs, could not receive their [identification] badges and their official registration paperwork, so they could not enter the polling stations."
"Some [Georgian Dream] coalition members of the [election] commissions received threatening phone calls from people claiming to be police. And they've been told that they are doing some wrong things with the voters, so they have to go to the police stations today and tomorrow."
-- Georgian Dream coalition spokeswoman Maia Panjikidze speaking to Reuters in Tbilisi.
Georgian Dream coalition spokeswoman Maia Panjikidze.
12:321.10.2012
Several sources claim Ivanishvili will gather thousands at Freedom Square in #Tbilisi @ 1900 local time - 1 hour before voting closes #gvote
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen commenting on the elections in Georgia during his monthly press briefing in Brussels today.
"Allies are following the elections very closely. I had an opportunity to discuss the elections with the Georgian political leadership when I visited Georgia some weeks ago and I am impressed by the preparations of the elections. I am sure that the Georgian authorities do all they can to make sure that the elections will be free, fair and transparent. In that respect I appreciate that the Georgian government has invited so many monitors or observers to monitor the elections including member of the NATO parliamentary assembly."
