Russia & CIS General Newswire
January 5, 2008 Saturday 4:16 PM MSK

Patarkatsishvili campaign staff says election frauds numerous

TBILISI Jan 5

Georgian presidential candidate Badri Patarkatsishvili’s campaign
staff says frauds are numerous in the Georgian election.

"Our representatives were not cleared into some polling stations," a
campaign manager, Levan Chkheidze, said at a press briefing on
Saturday.

"In some instances minors were allowed to fill in ballot papers.

Ballot papers were printed only in the Armenian language in
Akhalkalaki, and voters cannot read what is written in them. Police
threaten voters and force them to vote for Mikheil Saakashvili," he
said.

Predominantly Armenian Akhalkalaki is located in southern Georgia.

"Some polling stations opened much later than the due hour," he also
said.

The Patarkatsishvili campaign staff will refer photographs and videos
documenting election violations to international observers, Chkheidze
said.