NCDC calls on advertising company to restore vaccination banners replaced by anti-opposition billboards

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.’ 

The NCDC would have used all possible means to unconditionally extend all necessary measures for the placement of (vaccination) banners for the popularisation of vaccination to save the lives of the population,” the NCDC statement reads. 

Political movement Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria has filed a complaint in the Central Election Commission (CEC) over the billboards that portray opposition politicians as ‘bloody.’ 

A photo published on Facebook yesterday showed that a Covid-19 vaccination banner was replaced by the ‘bloody’ anti-opposition billboard. Photo: Netgazeti.ge.

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.’ 

ALMA stated they have nothing to do with the ‘bloody’ billboard’s content or design and said that ‘the content of the banners is unacceptable to us.’ 

Businessman Mikheil Gabriadze claimed that he and his friends are the authors of the ‘bloody’ billboards. 

The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced earlier today that they received two complaints regarding the anti-opposition billboards and stated that they have launched an investigation into the issue.