On October 11, during a session of the Central Election Commission (CEC), it was decided that the sole polling station opened in Israel will not be closed at this time. “There are 15 days left until the election – let’s wait until election day. Closure is always possible, restoration is impossible, so I consider it advisable for the commission to continue its activities,” stated Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC).
The CEC Chairman also mentioned the “circumstances and risks” described in the letter sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the CEC on October 8. During the discussion, commission member Ana Kobakhidze shared information she had gathered: “I started studying the issue with emigrants who live there and not only with them (…) I don’t think it’s advisable to close the polling station for 2,236 voters (…) For information, I want to say that European Parliament elections were also held in various embassies in Israel in February under these conditions.” Ana Kobakhidze also discussed the rules in case of an emergency.
A day earlier, a petition was circulated where citizens request that the polling station not be closed. The petition was distributed after the CEC announced the possibility of closing the only polling station opened in Israel, based on a letter sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding potential threats:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed us on October 8 of this year, providing information about the circumstances and risks associated with the polling station established in Ramat Gan, Israel. All circumstances that may be noteworthy for the Central Election Commission regarding the retention or closure of the station are described, which we will discuss at the upcoming session, and the commission will make the appropriate decision,” stated the CEC Chairman at a briefing held on October 9.
The petition circulated on October 10, reads: “Those who live in Israel know that there are no restrictions or dangers for those who wish to go to the polling station and vote. The current instructions of Israel’s National Security Service confirm this. In the center of the country, where the Georgian Embassy is located, there are no restrictions, up to 2,000 people have the right to freely assemble, educational and entertainment institutions are operating normally. We demand that thousands of Georgian citizens not be unjustly and unreasonably deprived of the opportunity to vote.” At this time, 262 people have signed the petition.
