Saakashvili: Authorities Manipulate Election Results

Leader of the opposition National Movement party, said at a news briefing on November 3 that the authorities are manipulating the parliamentary election results.

According to the recent information of the Central Election Commission the pro-presidential For a New Georgia bloc received 24.5% of the vote. The nearest opposition rival, the Saakashvili-National Movement bloc – 23,3%.

“The President tries to change the results of the elections and promote the pro-presidential bloc. In reality, we have won the elections. We have gained 28% of votes, while the authorities gained only 18% [as reported by the election observer organization ISFED, which conducted parallel vote tabulation],” Saakashvili said.

He also claimed that the authorities try to deprive two opposition parties the Burjanadze-Democrats and the New Rights right to take seats in the Parliament as a result of manipulation of election results.

“Nobody doubts that the Burjanadze-Democrats have cleared the 7% barrier and the New Rights have almost reached the 7% barrier. We, the Georgian people, are deprived of the right to vote, that is inadmissible. We should do our best to prevent the authorities to do this,” Saakashvili said.

The opposition leader said before the beginning of the news briefing, that unidentified men fired at his driver in front of the National Movement’s office. Saakashvili’s guard detained the criminal and delivered him to the law-enforcement agencies.