Georgian elections: Saakashvili’s party collected about 60% of votes in Akhalkalaki – local Armenians dispute results
Regnum, Russia
Oct 6 2006
Local elections are over in Georgia; about 60% of voters participated
in the elections in areas populated by ethnic Armenians; A-Info
reports.
According to data of Javakheti regional electoral commission of
Akhalkalaki area populated by ethnic Armenians, Saakashvili’s United
National Movement (UNM) Party collected here about 60% of votes in
the majoritarian vote, and opposition Industry Will Save Georgia
Party – 40%.
However, according to Industrialists’ Akhalkalaki branch leader
Meruzhan Yezoyan, his party collected over 50% of votes in
Akhalkalaki. Yezoyan expressed concern about the commission’s being
silent on the elections’ preliminary outcomes and falsifying the
results. According to preliminary data, most deputies elected by the
majoritarian system were known in Akhalkalaki by noon Oct 6. They
are as follows: Vitalik Torosyan (Khando village), Simon Manasyan
(Alastan village), Grigor Tsormutyan (Azavret village), and Norik
Karapetyan (Kadjo village).
The UNM Party was reported to collect 96% of votes in Ninotsminda
region. However, no other parties participated in the area’s
majoritarian elections. Head of the local electoral committee Seyran
Kiuregyan said that votes given for candidates in the majoritarian
vote were still being counted, and preliminary results would be
published later.
According to a source of A-Info, Simon Tumasyan (Gorelovka village),
Sedrak Shakhbasyan (Khanchkali village), Valery Antonyan (Gondura
village) were elected in the majoritarian vote. Emin Baloyan was
elected local deputy in the only village of Damale of Aspindza
electoral district.
According to preliminary reports, the UNM collected about 85% of
votes in Akhaltsikhe area. Davitashvili-Khidashvili-Berdzenishvili
Bloc collected 7.5% of votes; Salome Zourabichvili’s Georgia’s Way
Party collected 2.5% of votes.