Elections observers: voting taking place in calm environment, procedural irregularities reported
48 foreign and 120 local organisations have been registered to monitor the elections. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The joint observation mission, composed of the International Organization for Democracy, Media and Cultural Exchange, its international observers, and the Center for Development, says the voting process is taking place in a mostly calm and organized environment, although minor procedural irregularities have been reported.
According to @Transparency_GE monitoring, the 2020 @Geoparliament #elections are proceeding in a calm environment. We have identified some 100 minor and relatively more serious violations. Our observers have filed 15 complaints. Details ????#GVote2020https://t.co/6Ip2XsHpMW
— Transparency Int'l GE (@Transparency_GE) October 31, 2020
Transparency International Georgia says the 2020 parliamentary elections are proceeding in a calm environment although it notes that a larger number of irregularities have been observed compared with the 2018 presidential elections.
We have identified some 100 minor and relatively more serious violations. Our observers have filed 15 complaints,” says Transparency International Georgia.
Some of the significant violations were expulsion of observers, violation of vote secrecy (unfolded ballots and cameras close to booths), violation of lottery procedure, recording of voters inside polling stations, late opening of polling stations, presence of unauthorized individuals inside or near polling stations, violation of Covid-19-related safety rules, problems concerning filing of complaints, voting without inking, campaigning in polling stations, writes the organization in its announcement.
In 99.5 per cent of polling stations, ISFED observers were free to observe the opening process of the polling stations,” says the International Society for Fair Elections And Democracy (ISFED).
99.5% of #ISFED monitors were free to #observe the opening process of the polling stations.
— ISFED (@isfed_official) October 31, 2020
Our monitoring mission is supported by @USAIDGeorgia & @EUinGeorgia
#Gvote20 #Gvote2020 #Gvote #Elections2020 #Georgia pic.twitter.com/U1IDYHMaFE
1.8 per cent of the polling stations were not ready to receive voters by 8:00 am compared to 4.2 per cent in the 2016 parliamentary elections says ISFED, adding that procedural violation of casting lots was observed at 0.9 per cent of the polling stations (In 2016 parliamentary elections the corresponding number stood at 0.3 per cent).
In a number of polling stations in Marneuli district, commission members and other authorized persons are present in the polling station without a facemask,” noted the center for development and democracy (CDD).
The CDD noted that in Marneuli a signature had already been made when one of the voters entered the polling station so they could not vote. Also, it says that in Marneuli, there was an attempt to vote with another persons’ ID and even without ID.
104 media organisations have been accredited for the October 31 parliamentary elections.
48 foreign and 120 local organisations have been registered to monitor the elections.