Opposition: six persons got injured in a skirmish with riot squad in Georgia

Six persons got injured in a skirmish that happened near a polling station in the settlement of Khashuri, Georgia, between local residents and a flying riot squad, oppositional activists report. The Ministry of Interior Affairs denied this information.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported that voting at the parliamentary election was held in Georgia on October, 1. According to preliminary data, turnout for the election made 61%. Exit-polls of five companies showed the victory of oppositional coalition the "Georgian Dream", however official data of CEC has not yet been announced.

According to the opposition, the personnel of riot squad of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Georgia "used tear gas and started shooting with rubber bullets at the people who gathered near the polling station in Khashuri". Three persons were injured by rubber bullets and three more got poisoned with tear gas.

Oppositionists state that the personnel of riot squad who entered the polling station No 3 brought out a ballot-box with the final protocol rewritten. Besides, according to their information, members of the top brass appeared in two more polling stations of the settlement, RIA "Novosti" referring to the "Ninth TV Channel" (Georgia) reports.

Activists of non-governmental organization "New generation - New initiative" demanded to overturn the election results in Khashuri election district. Non-governmental organization "Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia" accredited at the election as observer joined the initiative.

In their statement issued tonight observers of the Association also demanded to overturn the election results in the election district No 26 in Khashuri where according to the NGO observers were turned out of the polling station, "Interfax" reports.

The Ministry of Interior Affairs of Georgia denied the information of using arms and special facilities in Khashuri.

Representatives of the Ministry emphasized that the policemen were guarding law and order in the territory "when some problems occurred there". "In all the polling stations from which the police received appeals the activists who gathered there broke up without resistance. We assure that arms and special facilities were not used by the police", "Novosti-Georgia" quotes a statement of the Ministry of Interior Affairs.

Head of Press Service of the Ministry Salome Makharadze declared that not a single serviceman of riot squad was present near the polling stations.

"I strongly object against any statements about the presence of riot squad near the polling stations, all the more about their entering the buildings. As for the police personnel, they prevented conflicts among the citizens who gathered near the stations", Georgia Online" quotes Makharadze.