Watchdog

TBILISI -- Hundreds of young activists have disrupted public discussions of Georgia's constitutional amendments proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

The discussions of the amendments were held on May 15 in the State Philharmonics concert hall in Tbilisi.

Parliament speaker Irakli Kobakhidze had to stop the discussions after hundreds of activists whistled and shouted, expressing their protest against the amendments.

The activists said they were concerned about some proposed amendments such as switching from direct presidential elections to the election of the president by parliament, allowing the winning party to acquire more mandates through redistribution after parliamentary polls, and legalizing land purchases by foreigners.

The activists also questioned the public discussions of the amendments organized by the government in other towns and cities, saying only officials had taken part in them.

YEREVAN -- Police in Armenia's capital, Yerevan, used force against an opposition mayoral candidate, during city council elections on May 14, according to her party and video footage.

Zarui Postanjian and her daughter Lilit Drampian were forced out of the campaign office of incumbent Mayor Taron Margarian, where they had come to check whether reports about lists of voters who allegedly agreed to receive money for their votes were true.

Officials of Postanian's Erkir Tsirani (Country of the Apricot) party told RFE/RL that Drampian, 22, was hospitalized after the incident and diagnosed with a concussion.

Meanwhile, the Central Election Commission said on May 15 that, according to a nearly complete count, the ruling Republican Party received more than 71 percent of votes for city council.

According to the commission, Erkir Tsirani received less than 8 percent of the vote, and candidates from the Elk (Exit) political bloc won about 22 percent.

By law, the Yerevan City Council appoints the capital's mayor.