Text of report by Georgian news agency Kavkasia-Press

Tbilisi, 9th November: The National Democratic Alliance -the
Third Way has said that it cannot sign the final protocol of
the outcome of the 31st October parliamentary elections because
the election results have been completely rigged. The alliance
said in a statement circulated today that the "elections were
completely rigged in the Kvemo Kartli province in favour of the
Union of Citizens of Georgia, and in Ajaria in favour of
Georgia's Revival faction. Rigging of various degree was also
registered in other parts of Georgia, which particularly
affected the final outcome of the elections in single mandate
constituencies" .

The National Democratic Alliance stresses that, despite
the fact that rigging and irregularities did not affect the
alliance's vote in the proportional representation part of the
ballot, the "lawlessness and pressure in the elections cannot
be condoned" . "It is alarming to see that, with each election,
the instances of interference, rigging and manipulating of
ballot papers, protocols and numbers are becoming increasingly
arrogant," the statement says.

The alliance has called on all political forces in
Georgia, nongovernment organizations, independent mass media
and every citizen to make joint efforts to safeguard the
expression of free will of the electorate at every level in
elections and the lawfulness of the electoral procedure.

Source: Kavkasia-Press news agency, Tbilisi, in Georgian 1335
gmt 9 Nov 99
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