Emigrants, Facing Problems of Participating in the Elections, Return to Georgia

Interpresnews

Georgian emigrants, who faced difficulties for participating in the elections, return to Georgia via Sarpi Border Checkpoint. "InterPressNews" correspondent reported from Sarpi that emigrants from Italy, United States, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Ukraine, Turkey, Spain, Greece and France, about 100 people in total, returned to Georgia by two buses.

Emigrants symbolically brought satellite antennas back with them. As emigrants emphasize, they brought satellite antennas for their relatives to assist them to get alternative information.

They clarified that they had faced problems concerning participation in the elections and so decided to return to Georgia.

Georgian emigrants will hold a rally at the Justice House in Batumi to protest the fact that they were not allowed to vote abroad.

Relatives met emigrants at the Sarpi Border Checkpoint with applause. Georgian Dream’s representatives were also there to greet the emigrants.

Reportedly, Georgian people living abroad are requested to provide documents which will indicate place of their residence in the hosting country. However, since many of them live abroad illegally and for many other reasons, cannot provide similar documents

Some more buses of emigrants are expected in Sarpi on September 18.

Natela Gagua, residing in Salonika of Greece, told IPN that they could not participate in the elections of October 1 in Greece so she returned to Georgia and symbolically brought one dish antennas with her. “I brought antenna for my children to assist them to see the truth. My right to vote was restricted in Greece. I have been living in Salonika for 8 years. I have my documents in order but they request notification from the place of residence from emigrants and we cannot provide them. Our employers do not want to publish their addresses because they will have to pay extra taxes for our employment. So, we arrived here to support the Georgian Dream,” Natela Gagua said.

Relatives and Georgian Dream’s members met Georgian emigrants on the border. Head of the Coalition’s Adjara office Avtandil Beridze said Georgian emigrants have arrived to execute their duty and participate in the elections.

“Dish antennas are not sold in Georgia so they slapped Mikheil Saakashvili by bringing antennas here. This demonstration was to protest this fact. Today, relatives met them and we welcome their decision; after our victory in the elections we will do our best to create similar situation in the country so that these people will not go abroad to work,” Beridze said.

About 100 Georgian emigrants returned to Georgia from various foreign countries via Sarpi. Some more buses of emigrants are expected in Sarpi tomorrow.