Opposition leader Khoshtaria files complaint in Central Election Commission over ‘bloody’ opposition billboards
The ‘bloody’ billboards first appeared on the streets of Tbilisi on September 17 in the run up to the October 2 municipal elections and soon after they were displayed in other cities of Georgia as well. Photo: Nazi Janezashvili/Facebook.
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Political movement Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria, who is the united opposition’s joint candidate for the City Council (Sakrebulo) chair in the upcoming local elections, has filed a complaint in the Central Election Commission (CEC) over billboards which portray opposition politicians as ‘bloody.’
The billboards feature opposition political leaders, including former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia who resigned earlier this year and the media managers of two opposition-minded TV channels Nika Gvaramia and Nodar Meladze from Mtavari Arkhi and TV Pirveli which reads: ‘No to Natsis (referring to the largest opposition United National Movement (UNM) party), No to evil, No to betrayal.’
Elene Khoshtaria said that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party stands behind the billboards, noting that it is an ‘infringement of the law.’
All campaign materials must have an indicated author...We have no illusions that either the CEC will act fairly or the GD will change its mind,” Khoshtaria stated.
A photo was published on Facebook yesterday showing that a Covid-19 vaccination banner was replaced by the ‘bloody’ billboard.
The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of Georgia stated that they condemn the fact if the action really took place, noting that the NCDC has nothing to do with it.
Head of the ruling party Irakli Kobakhidze responded to the issue and said that opposition-minded TV channels are ‘the source of hate speech and aggression.’
Naturally when so much hatred flows from one side, there may be an answer from the other side as well,” Kobakhidze stated.
Businessman Mikheil Gabriadze claimed that he and his friends are the authors of the ‘bloody’ billboards and noted that he does not belong to any political party.
The GD candidate for Tbilisi mayor, incumbent Kakha Kaladze, said that the billboards belong to advertising company ALMA and the City Hall has no right to interfere.
However, ALMA stated they have no connection with the ‘bloody’ billboard’s content or design and said that they ‘only sell and rent space on constructions for banners.’
Although we acknowledge the freedom of expression of any subject and the need to ensure it, the content of the above-mentioned advertising banners is unacceptable to us,” ALMA states.
The ‘bloody’ billboards first appeared on the streets of Tbilisi on September 17 in the run up to the October 2 municipal elections and soon after they were displayed in other cities of Georgia as well.
The United National Movement opposition party says a banner depicting currently imprisoned leader Nika Melia was shot at.
Businessman Mikheil Gabriadze has told Rustavi 2 TV that he and his friends stand behind ‘bloody’ billboards depicting opposition politicians. Claiming that he does not belong to any political party, Gabriadze said the former ruling party – United National Movement – which is now the largest opposition party, should not return to power.
The election banner of the united opposition’s joint candidate for Poti mayor, former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, has been damaged in Poti, Ugulava announced on Facebook. He stated that surveillance cameras are nearby and urged the country’s Interior Ministry to look into the issue.
Transparency International (TI) Georgia and International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) say violent posters in the streets of Tbilisi pose a threat to the health and life of the opposition and media representatives.
The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of Georgia has called on advertising company ALMA to restore Covid-19 vaccination banners which were replaced by anti-opposition political billboards on September 17. The NCDC states that the advertising company did not notify the body regarding the change of the banners, noting that the replacement of their banners ‘was possible only with the prior agreement of the parties.’
Advertising company ALMA has stated that they provided the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of Georgia with the space for the Covid-19 vaccination campaign free of charge in response to the latter’s appeal to restore the vaccination banners replaced by anti-opposition political billboards on September 17.
Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze stated earlier today that the replacement of a Covid-19 vaccination ad with a ‘billboard of hatred‘ is categorically unacceptable, referring to anti-opposition political billboards which appeared in Georgia on September 17. She said that ‘vaccination is a priority not only for the country but also for the world.’
The Georgian State Audit Office has launched an investigation to find out who stands behind ‘bloody’ billboards depicting opposition politicians. The billboards depicting opposition politicians, including ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and UNM mayoral candidate Nika Melia, say: ‘No to Natsis [a short, often derogatory form of the opposition UNM), No to evil, No to betrayal’.
Advertising company Alma has announced that it will ‘not put up hate speech banners’ and addressed the Georgian parliament with an initiative to ban hateful advertisements. Billboards depicting the opposition as ‘bloody’ appeared on September 17 in Tbilisi ahead of the October 2 municipal elections which depicted opposition political leaders, including former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and the media managers of two opposition-minded TV channels Nika Gvaramia and Nodar Meladze from Mtavari Arkhi and TV Pirveli.
The Georgian parliament’s committee on legal affairs has supported the appeal of advertising company Alma to ban hateful advertisements earlier today. Based on Alma’s legislative proposal, the electoral code or other legislative acts should be amended in order to restrict or prohibit the placement of hate speech banners in self-governing cities and municipalities.
The opposition European Georgia party has demanded advertising company Alma put up their banners and to fulfil the terms of their contract. European Georgia wants to place the banners where the billionaire and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Bidzina Ivanishvili is depicted as a pig. The billboard calls on Georgian citizens ‘not to become an animal farm and stop being understanding’ in a reference to the George Orwell novel Animal Farm.
The European Georgia opposition party sues advertising company Alma for violation of the terms of their contract and refusal to put up the party’s banners. European Georgia wanted to display banners in which the billionaire and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, is depicted as a pig. The billboard calls on Georgian citizens ‘not to become an animal farm’, a reference to the George Orwell novel Animal Farm.