Parliamentary elections underway in Georgia: clashes and bulk ballot stuffing reported.

On Saturday, October 26, voting is taking place in the parliamentary elections in Georgia.

The ruling party "Georgian Dream" is competing with several opposition blocs that support integration with the West. "Georgian Dream" has been in power since 2012 and is fighting for a new term in parliament for the next four years.

"The opposition calls the October 26 vote a choice between the West and Russia, as well as between democracy and authoritarianism. This is the same narrative repeated by officials in the United States and Europe, who have criticized "Georgian Dream" for a retreat from democracy," it is reported.

The new electoral system requires crossing a five percent threshold to enter parliament. This has forced Georgia's opposition parties to form a coalition.

The party "Georgian Dream" was founded by Georgian entrepreneur Bidzina Ivanishvili, who was also a prime minister. Moscow openly supports this political force.

Public opinion in Georgia supports joining the European Union and NATO but also seeks to avoid conflict with Russia and is conservative regarding LGBT rights.

Military journalist Andrei Tsaplienko reported on clashes and falsifications during voting in Georgia.

According to the Election Commission, the total number of voters is 3508294 people. On Saturday, 3,111 polling stations opened, of which 3,044 are located in the country.

International polling stations will operate in 53 cities across 42 countries, with a total of 67 stations opened abroad for 95,910 voters.