‘Authorities’ Violence Amounts to Our Victory in Polls’ – Opposition Bloc

Davit Gamkrelidze, the leader of New Rights Party – part of the nine-party opposition bloc – said the fact that the authorities had to resort to violence and ballot rigging was a major indicator that the opposition has won the elections.

“I want to congratulate the Georgian society with victory in the entire Georgia,” Gamkrelidze told journalists after polling stations were closed at 8pm local time on May 21. “The authorities have totally lost.”

The nine-party bloc said it planned a rally in downtown Tbilisi outside the Sport Palace at 11pm local time on May 21.

Meanwhile, Shalva Natelashvili, the leader of Labor Party, said he would not recognize election results because, he said, it was totally rigged by the authorities.
 
“As far as the authorities carried out mass ballot rigging and exerted pressure, we do not recognize the results of these elections unless all ballot papers are recounted in the office of the Central Election Commission, with the participation of international experts and representatives of mass media,” Natelashvili said at a press conference.

Natelashvili made this statement an hour before closing the polling stations.