Polling stations have closed and votes are being counted in Gardabani municipality in Kvemo Kartli region where election of this municipality’s head (gamgebeli) was held on January 28.

There were only two candidates in the race – Georgian Dream (GD) ruling coalition’s Gocha Jamarauli and opposition United National Movement’s (UNM) Besik Kakhabrishvili.

33.1% of 71,847 voters, registered in the Gardabani municipality, turned out at polling stations, according to the Central Election Commission. No minimum turnout threshold is set for the polls to be valid.

Throughout the day UNM has been accusing GD of mobilizing group of its supporters outside some of the polling stations, especially in those where in 2014 local elections UNM had good results, and GD was responding that it was UNM, which was seeking “destabilization” on election day.

In the evening a confrontation between GD and UNM supporters, which reportedly also involved stone-throwing, occurred outside polling station No.2. TV footage showed police taking an unidentified man away from the scene; TV cameras captured a handgun which was stuffed down his trousers. UNM said that the same men, which GD was mobilizing at various polling stations throughout the day, were involved in the confrontation close to the polling station No.2. GD responded by accusing UNM of “staging provocation.” 

According to the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), which is monitoring elections in Gardabani, the incident, which took place outside the polling station, did not affect voting process at the polling station in question.

International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, which is also monitoring elections, said that there were two cases of confrontation outside two separate polling stations, otherwise the voting in Gardabani was calm. ISFED also reported several cases of procedural irregularities.

GD’s candidate Gocha Jamarauli is a former footballer who played for the national team in 1994–2004.

UNM’s candidate Besik Kakhabrishvili was running for the same office in the 2014 local elections, but lost the race to GD’s candidate, garnering 27.8% of votes.

Election in Gardabani was called after the office of gamgebeli became vacant following the death of the incumbent, Gela Nioradze, in late November; Nioradze,  who ran on ruling GD coalition’s ticket, won the post in 2014 local elections with over 56% of votes.