Georgian Opposition Politician Throws Black Liquid On Electoral Chief To Protest Vote

Georgian opposition politician Davit Kirtadze splashed black liquid in the face of Giorgi Kalandarishvili, head of the country's Central Election Commission, on November 16 as he was preparing to announce the validated results of parliamentary elections disputed by the opposition. Kirtadze is a member of the Central Election Commission as a delegate for the United National Movement, a party founded by Georgia's jailed ex-president, Mikheil Saakashvili. Kirtadze's protest was intended to refer to the ink from voters' pens that was visible through the thin paper on the other side of some ballots. The opposition says this compromised secrecy in the disputed voting on October 26.