TBILISI, DFWatch – Special police forces stormed several election precincts in Georgia, seized the ballot box and rewrote the protocol, in order to prevent an opposition victory.

Special units of the police have entered several election precincts in Khashuri, a small town in eastern Georgia.

Opposition force Georgian Dream shortly after voting ended reported that special units broke into about ten precincts, blocked doors and didn’t let people out.

A team from Maestro TV arrived at the spot reporting that at the third precinct of Khashuri special unit employees were firing tear gas and rubber bullets. The TV channel aired footage of shots being fired. They reported that special units seized the ballot box. People also confirm that there was fired rubber bullets.

Special units then left the spot. People were yelling ‘you fascists’.

The presence of special units was observed also at several other election precincts in Khashuri.

Georgia’s interior ministry released a statement in which it does not confirm that there was shooting at election precincts. The ministry denies that special units were using force in Khashuri.

According to the ministry, police were defending the outside area of precincts, where some violations were observed. No weapons or other means were used, according to the ministry.

But Transparency International Georgia has information that several percincts of Khashuri were attacked by special forces.

According to TIG’s observer, the summary protocol showed that Geeorgian Dream received the more votes than the ruling United National Movement party. Later, armed people threw the observers out and rewrote the election protocol, so that the apparent winner was the UNM.

At another precinct, observers were physically abused. Special forces used tear gas and rubber bullets.

Transparence International calls on responsible bodies to take appropriate measures.