Paint thrown over Georgia's election chief

Georgia's Election Commission Chief was doused in paint this afternoon as he prepared to confirm the final results of last month's parliamentary elections.

Giorgi Kalandarishvili was attacked by an opposition party official, David Kirtadze at a meeting of Georgia's election body in Tbilisi.

Mr Kirtadze, a member of the former President Mikheil Saakashvili's UNM opposition party, threw paint into Mr Kalandarishvili's face as election commission officials and representatives of all parties who contested in the 26 October ballot met to hear the final results of the disputed poll.

According to reports, Mr Kirtadze attempted to speak at the start of the meeting but was asked to wait and follow the protocol for the meeting. According to an account of the incident, Mr Kirtazde tried to speak again forcing officials to switch off his microphone.

Video footage filmed by two Georgian channels shows Mr Kirtadze walking up to Mr Kalandarisvili, who is seated, and throwing paint at his face.

Georgia’s opposition have refused to accept the parliamentary election results and have alleged widespread ballot rigging and voting irregularities.

Official results from the election gave a 54% majority to Georgian Dream, whose opponents say it wants to steer the Caucasus nation away from Europe and back into Russia's orbit.

Georgian Dream, which is seen as loyal to billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, says it wants to protect the country from subversive foreign influence and from being dragged into war with Russia like Ukraine.

It says it remains committed to seeking a future in the European Union, but the EU says it has frozen Georgia's membership application because of concerns about democratic backsliding.