Georgia's CEC calls presidential election valid

The presidential election in Georgia has taken place as more than half of the total number of members of the electoral college took part in the voting. This was announced by the press speaker of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia, Natia Iosseliani, at a briefing on December 14.

The session was broadcast from the Georgian Parliament Palace on the CEC's Facebook page (the social network is banned in Russia, owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia).

"By half past twelve (10:30 Moscow time), 170 members of the electoral college (consisting of 300 people. - Ed.) had already participated in the [voting] process. Accordingly, the elections were held," Iosseliani said.

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Earlier in the day, presidential elections started in the republic, where for the first time in Georgia's history not citizens but the electoral college will vote. The session began at 9:00 (8:00 Moscow time) and will last until 14:00 (13:00 Moscow time). The CEC will summarize the voting results immediately after the end of the session. The panel consists of 300 people, 211 of them are members of the Georgian Dream.

The only candidate for the presidential post is a politician from the ruling Georgian Dream party, Mikhail Kavelashvili. He will be elected if he gets 200 votes.

A rally is also taking place near the Parliament for the 17th day in a row, the police blocked Rustaveli Avenue, prepared water cannons and cordoned off the building of the legislative body, to the entrances of which the demonstrators came close.

The day before, on December 13, incumbent Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said she would not leave the presidential palace after December 29, when her term of office expires. Opposition supporters also rallied outside the parliament that day.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin pointed out that Georgia's leadership is trying to protect the country's national interests and this policy is causing "heartburn" for the United States and European Union (EU) countries. The deputy minister believes that the West will not stop its attacks on the republic and will impose new sanctions on Tbilisi.

There are protests in Georgia over the suspension of negotiations on European integration and the opposition's disagreement with the results of parliamentary elections. Protesters tried to set fire to the Georgian parliament building and damaged dozens of offices, while law enforcement agencies had to use tear gas.