How much have political parties spent on ads ahead of municipal elections?
Local self-government elections will be held on October 2, 2021 in Georgia. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The ruling Georgian Dream party has spent 2,794,718 GEL on election ads between August 2 and August 22.
The Georgian Dream spent the following amounts on:
- Outdoor ads - 2,274,308 GEL
- Ads in online media - 311,245 GEL
- Other advertising expenses - 209,164 GEL
Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s party For Georgia has spent 79,893 GEL on election commercials between August 2 and August 22.
Of the sum, the party spent the following amounts on:
- Outdoor ads - 76,209 GEL
- Ads in online media - 2,709 GEL
- Other advertising expenses - 975 GEL
Expenses for election commercials of other opposition political parties are as follows:
- European Georgia - 51,471 GEL
- United National Movement - 38,135 GEL
- Strategy Builder - 9,800 GEL
- Lelo for Georgia - 4,303 GEL
The United National Movement has not had any outdoor ads ahead of the October 2 municipal elections.
UNM member Nika Oboladze told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that the party doesn’t have unlimited financial resources and ‘based on the available resources, they (the party) have other priorities’.
Election contributions for political parties are as follows:
- Georgian Dream - 4,009,900 GEL
- For Georgia - 233,338 GEL
- United National Movement - 57,890 GEL
- Lelo for Georgia - 49,500 GEL
- European Georgia - 43,830 GEL
The State Audit Office reports that opposition party Strategy Builder has not received contributions between August 2 and August 22.
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) has reported 15 alleged cases of dismissal on political grounds in Georgia in the run up to the October 2 municipal elections. The organisation has also reported several cases of direct or indirect compulsion for the involvement of the educational institutions’ employees in the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party’s campaign. However, ISFED praised the process of interviewing the candidates for membership of the District Election Commission (DEC) which was broadcast live.
Leader of the opposition Strategy Aghmashenebeli party Giorgi Vashadze has presented a new political platform, Third Force, which unites members of several other opposition political parties ahead of the October 2 municipal elections. Opposition party Strategy Aghmashenebeli, which received four of 60 opposition seats in the parliamentary elections 2020, will participate in the upcoming elections on behalf of the Third Force.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party says that their candidate for Tbilisi mayor, incumbent Kakha Kaladze, will receive 60.1% in the October 2 local elections. Per GD’s poll, the head of the United National Movement (UNM) Nika Melia, who is the joint candidate of the opposition parties for Tbilisi mayor, will receive 29.2% in self-government elections.
The ruling Georgian Dream party claims that they will receive 44.7% of votes in the October 2 municipal elections in the western Georgian city of Kutaisi, which will elect a city council and mayor. Municipal elections are slated to be held throughout the country on the day.
Tamar Kekenadze has been nominated for Tbilisi mayor in the October 2 municipal elections by the Strategy Agmashenebeli-led political platform Third Force today.
Georgian central and district commission members have signed a code of ethics ahead of the upcoming October 2 municipal elections in Georgia, promising to remain fair, impartial and independent.
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has launched its long-term election observation mission in Georgia for the October 2 municipal elections.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that 15 of 62 local observation organisations which have registered to monitor the October 2 municipal elections are affiliated with the opposition.
Edison Research polls commissioned by the opposition-minded Formula TV say that 55 per cent of voters like both incumbent Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze and ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia who are running for Tbilisi mayor in the October 2 municipal elections.