Georgian PM’s signature appears on list of supporters of opposition presidential candidate

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze’s signature appeared on the opposition presidential candidate Mikheil Antadze’s supporters’ list, Imedi TV reports.

On the list Bakhtadze’s personal information and signature was No. 22.

Antadze is the presidential candidate of the State for People movement chaired by Giorgi Vashadze.
The State for People Movement announced in July 2018 that it was among the 10 opposition parties which supported the United National Movement candidate Grigol Vashadze as president.

However, the movement maintained Antadze as its presidential candidate and stated that it was “part of a strategy” to benefit Grigol Vashadze.

Giorgi Vashadze, head of the State for People Movement, said that  he did not know how the  prime minister’s personal information appeared on the supporter list of Antadze.

He only said that “Bakhtadze once was the opposition’s financial contributor” for 2012 elections, which was earlier dismissed by Bakhtadze by saying that his bank account was used technically for the money transfer.

State for People Movement member Giorgi Kharchilava, who coordinated the collection of signatures for Antadze, said that it was a “comic situation” as it was impossible for the PM to give his signature.

The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) has held a special briefing following media reports and said that the Prime Minister’s personal information was really found on Antadze’s supporters list.

However, the signature itself absolutely differs from the prime minister’s signature,” the CEC spokesperson said.

The CEC addressed the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the issue and said that they did not give the list to any media as it would be a violation of the law on personal information.

The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office stated shortly that they have launched the investigation on the alleged fact of fabrication of the list of supporters. 

A presidential candidate needs more than 25,000 signatures of supporters to be officially registered as a candidate by the Central Election Commission.

The CEC rechecks supporters’ lists before the approval of the presidential candidate.