Tbilisi: The voting process has finally begun at the scheduled time today. The polling booths opened at 8 a.m. and the President was the first official voter to cast her vote after reaching the polling booth.
It is worth noting that to facilitate the voter’s ease of casting the votes, authorities have established more than 3000 polling booths across the country.
The Pro-Western parties of Georgia have termed the election a referendum. The people’s choice will decide the future of the country, whether it wants to go with West or not.
3508294 eligible people will exercise their right to vote in this election to elect the 150 members of the Georgian parliament. 18 political parties are contesting the election to capture power in Georgia.
Some parties contesting the elections, including the Georgian Dream have an anti-Western approach.
The ruling party, Georgian Dream has been in power for the past 12 years. Opposite parties have been urging people to defeat the Georgian Dream and end their 12-year rule.
According to these parties not just the Georgian Dream but all parties with an anti-Western approach should not be allowed to come to power as this will slow the progress of development in the country.
Four major opposition political forces, including the (three coalitions and one party) seeking to challenge its 12-year rule.
Another interesting fact about this election is that this year’s election is being conducted using electric voting machines.
These voting machines will identify and count voting. Almost 90% (3,113,747) of eligible voters will use this method of casting the votes. However in remote villages located far away from cities, voters have to use traditional methods.
Notably authorities have also established polling booths in foreign countries. Out of a total of 3111, 67 have been established in foreign countries. 135,922 new voters registered this time will cast their first votes in this election.
To observe the whole election process, 100 local and 60 international observatory missions have been established throughout the country. Ballot papers will be counted at 8 PM soon after the country’s election process closes.
The final results will be declared after the number of ballots in rural and other far-flung areas is taken into account.
