Tbilisi. 29 March’04, Caucasus Press. - According to preliminary findings published by the CEC, the rightist opposition bloc Industrialists - New Rights has gained 7.5% of votes. National Movement - Democrats is leading with 76.04%. Labor Party so far has received only 5.43%, Tanadgoma (Unity) - 3.28%, Tavisupleba (Freedom) - 1.66%m, Democratic Revival Union - 0.63%. All other participants have gained less than 1%. CE Chair Zurab Chiaberashvili said these are preliminary findings and the final returns may differ from them, since no data have come from majority of districts yet. He said that 1,473,465 voters out of 2,266,279 registered have participated in the elections.
10.NATIONAL MOVEMENT - DEMOCRATS CEDE VICTORY ONLY IN ASLAN ABASHIDZE'S PATRIMONY
Tbilisi. 29 March’04, Caucasus Press. - Adjara is the sole region of Georgia, where National Movement - Democrats have lost the elections. Zaza Gorozia, CEC Chair's Representative to Adjara, told CAUCASUS PRESS that by 04:00 am today he had received final returns from four out of six electoral districts of Adjara. The elections in Khulo district of Adjara may be invalidated. According to preliminary findings, Aslan Abashidze's party has received 58,000 votes in Keda, Khelvachauri, Kobuleti and Batumi districts of Adjara, while National Movement - Democrats have enlisted the support of 55,000 voters and even surpassed Abashidze's party in Batumi district: 23,610 votes against 16,187. It's noteworthy that the 7% threshold is equal to about 120,000 votes, and since is not popular in other regions of Georgia it may be left overboard the Parliament.
Tbilisi. 28 March’04, Caucasus Press. - Tamaz Diasamidze, one of the leaders of Adjarian opposition movement Our Adjara assesses the parliamentary elections in the autonomous republic as "rather democratic". Diasamidze told journalists that despite several pleasant incidents, these elections were the most progressive as compared to all previous elections ever held in Adjara. He accounts this for the presence of real opposition and the support of the central government, which prevented rigging of elections in Adjara. CEC Chairman Zurab Chiaberashvili has explained tonight why he had spread misinformation about pogroms at polling stations in Adjara: "I have made this deliberately to prevent the pogroms, which we know for sure had been planned."
12.VICTORY AT THE COST OF BLOODSHED IS WORTHLESS - ABASHIDZE
Tbilisi. 28 March ’04, Inter-Press. - Head of the Adjara Autonomous Republic Aslan Abashidze said on Sunday that 'election results don't trouble him at all,' since 'any victory gained at the cost of bloodshed is worthless'. Following a meeting with Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania on March 28 Abashidze said at a special news briefing in Batumi that he is contented that 'provocations have been avoided during voting processes in Adjara', and expressed gratitude to free media and foreign observers in this regard. 'It is difficult to win a victory over the people, who are fighting against you in an unequal struggle,' the Adjarian leader emphasized.
13.REPEAT MAJORITY ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN CHIATURA
Tbilisi. 29 March’04, Caucasus Press. - Second round of majoritarian elections will be held in Chiatura district of Imereti region of Georgia. The CEC told CAUCASUS PRESS that none of the six candidates had managed to gain more than 50%. The two leaders, Tengiz Motsradze (Socialist Party) and Jason Chumburidze (National Movement) will stand for the second round of elections in about two weeks.
14.INVESTIGATION ON ELECTION IRREGULARITIES
Tbilisi. 29 March ’04, Inter-Press. - Kvemo Kartli Regional Prosecutor Mamuka Tsaava has issued an order to investigate election irregularities, revealed by NGO the Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia. Mamuka Tsaava told INTER-PRESS that the investigation started after public statements, made by Head of the Association Tinatin Khidasheli. The Prosecutor does not rule out the possibility of bringing some individuals to justice. Khidasheli demands revoke of the election results in several polling stations in Marneuli for a number of the election irregularities revealed there.
15.CHAIRMAN OF BOLNISI DISTRICT ELECTION COMMISSION REFUTES INFORMATION ABOUT MASS VIOLATIONS AT THE ELECTIONS IN THIS REGION
Tbilisi, 29 March ’04, Prime-News. - Chairman of Bolnisi district election commission George Kvanchilashvili refutes information about mass violations at the parliamentary elections in this region on Sunday. As Kvanchilashvili told Prime-News, mainly false information on the election process in Bolnisi region was imparted on Sunday. According to him, the Central Election Commission sent representatives of the prosecutor's office to one of the polling stations for checking information about the fraud; however this news was not confirmed. According to him, these elections were held much better than the November 2 parliamentary elections. Chairman of Central election Commission Zurab Chiaberashvili declared on Sunday that Kvemo Kartli region still damages the image of polling in Georgia. As Zurab Chiaberashvili stated at the press conference on Sunday, voting cabins were not arranged at 41st and 47th polling stations as a result of which voters used to enter classrooms and realize electing process there. The CEC chairman appealed to the general prosecutor's office for investigating the issue of Bolnisi 30th polling station, where already marked bulletins were delivered to voters. Different non-governmental organizations also spread information on violations in Bolnisi.
16.SLIGHT ELECTION VIOLATIONS REPORTED IN SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI
Akhaltsikhe. 29 March ’04, Inter-Press. - The March 28 Parliamentary Elections were held with slight violations and under peaceful circumstances in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Chairman of the Precinct Election Commission of the Akhltsikhe region Davit Narimanashvili said that 16, 477 voters i.e. 65% cast ballots in the elections according to the preliminary data. 12, 540 voters among them voted for the National-Democrats party. Opposition parties except the Labor Party don't protest against the election results. Narimanashvili said that anybody willing to protest over the election results should express his claim in a civilized way. Fair Elections report that the parliamentary election violations are so insignificant that they can't impact on the election results. Deadline for submitting complaints to the Precinct Election Commission is 06:00 p.m. March 29. Not a single complaint has been submitted to the PEC so far.