Beating of the chairwoman of the Regional Election Commission of Akhalkalaki is nothing but a result of the Georgian authorities’ provocative actions, “Javakhk” People’s Movement Chairman Norik Karapetyan—who is nominated as MP candidate from this region and from the opposition “Georgian Dream” coalition—told Armenian News-NEWS.am.  

‘“Georgian Dream’s’ Akhalkalaki Headquarters Deputy Chief Bezhan Gunava was summoned to the Election Commission, where Commission Chairwoman Hasmik Marangozyan began shouting at him. At that time a Commission member’s [cell] phone rang and the Chairwoman attacked him; a brawl began,” Karapetyan said.     

Also, he stated that the authorities carry out and will continue to carry out provocative incidents. At the same time he expressed a concern that such incidents have already reached the regions where Georgia’s national minorities live.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, members of the Regional Election Commission of Akhalkalaki, in Georgia’s southeastern Samtskhe-Javakheti Province, have beaten the Commission’s chairwoman, Gruzia Online news agency of Georgia reports, referring to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia.  

According to the CEC, Regional Election Commission of Akhalkalaki members Medea Neparidze, Nino Pkhakadze, and Georgian opposition leader, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s “Georgian Dream” bloc representative Bezhan Gunava beat Commission Chairwoman Hasmik Marangozyan on Monday at the Commission building.  

Georgia’s CEC condemned this incident and called upon all Commission members to manifest mutual respect and restraint. 

To note, Javakhk—Georgian name: Javakheti—is an Armenian-populated part of Georgia’s southeastern Samtskhe-Javakheti Province.