Georgia: Demonstrations likely following Oct. 26 parliamentary elections

Heightened security and demonstrations are likely nationwide following the Oct. 26 parliamentary election. The Georgian electoral commission announced early Oct. 27 that the ruling Georgian Dream party had won 54 percent of the vote with 99 percent of precincts counted. Opposition parties have denounced the validity of the result, accusing Georgian Dream of ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and other election violations. The main opposition parties, namely the Coalition for Change and the United National Movement (UNM), have called for protests in the wake of the result. While no dates and locations for protests have yet been announced, they are almost certain to take place in central locations of most urban centers across Georgia and are likely to be very well attended. The breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia were not included in Georgia's regions participating in the parliamentary elections and are unlikely to witness unrest.

Previous anti-government protest locations have included:

• Heroes' Square, Tbilisi

• Liberty Square, Tbilisi

• Georgian Parliament, Tbilisi

• Europe Square, Batumi

• Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University

• Central Square, Kutaisi

• City Hall, Kutaisi

Authorities will likely deploy increased security to monitor the gatherings and impose traffic restrictions near affected areas. Localized road travel and transport disruptions are likely near protest sites. Violence is possible between law enforcement officers, demonstrators, and supporters of rival political parties.