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Georgian president won’t recognize results of parliamentary elections, says PM

According to Irakli Kobakhidze, Salome Zourabichvili will define the results as illegitimate

TBILISI, September 4. /TASS/. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili definitely will not recognize the results of the October 26 parliamentary elections and will label them as illegitimate, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said in an interview with the Imedi television channel.

"This (the fact that the president will define the results of the elections as illegitimate - TASS) is a guaranteed scenario. I can assure you right now that she (Zourabichvili - TASS) will say such a thing," Kobakhidze said, emphasizing that this way the president will execute the opposition parties’ order.

The upcoming parliamentary elections will be the first when electronic ballot boxes will be used, as they will be installed in 74% of polling stations, covering almost 90% of eligible voters. In addition to scanning machines that read marked paper ballots, voter verification technology will be employed.

The Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia ruling party, which has been in power for 12 years, will try to win its fourth term. The United National Movement, founded by former President Mikhail Saakashvili, is believed to be its main opponent, as it was in the previous elections. A party needs to clear the five percent election threshold to gain seats in parliament.