TI Georgia interim report: misuse of administrative resources, politicisation of public institutions are key challenges
TI Georgia identified 10 state programmes and initiatives ‘which may be deemed to be electorally-motivated expenses,’ the report says. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Tweet 
Share
Misuse of administrative resources during the election process and politicisation of public institutions remain key challenges in the run up to local self-government elections to be held on October 2, Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) has reported.
Other key challenges identified by the interim report of TI Georgia are as followed:
- Ineffective investigation of alleged cases of intimidation and dismissal of the employees on political grounds
- Harassment of opposition party candidates
- Large-scale mobilisation of public sector employees for election campaign purposes by the ruling party
- The use of budget programmes for parochial party interests
TI Georgia identified 17 cases of political harassment in August-September.
ჩვენს მიერ 2021 წლის 1 ივნისიდან 25 სექტემბრამდე მუნიციპალიტეტის ორგანოთა არჩევნებისთვის განხორციელებულმა დაკვირვებამ აჩვენა, რომ საარჩევნოდ ადმინისტრაციული რესურსების გამოყენება საქართველოსთვის კვლავ პრობლემურია.
— საერთაშორისო გამჭვირვალობა-საქართველო (@TIGeorgiaGeo) September 28, 2021
ვრცლად: ⤵️#არჩევნები #GVote21https://t.co/8pPlJap9GY
The interim report says that various opposition political parties announced alleged cases of pressure used by the State Security Service (SSS).
The party For Georgia was notable for a particularly high number of such reports… Representatives of the parties Girchi – More Freedom, the United National Movement (UNM), and Third Force – Strategy Aghmashenebeli also talked about similar cases,” the report reads.
TI Georgia also reports that 87 individuals and five companies from the country's south-eastern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti made donations to the ruling party amounting to a total of 714,000 GEL between August 2-16.
This amount of donations made from this single geographic area in such a short time period is quite unusual and may be considered to be indirect evidence backing the reports on allegedly tasking local businesspeople to make financial contributions to the ruling party by the SSS and the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance,” TI Georgia states.
The organisation identified 10 state programmes and initiatives ‘which may be deemed to be electorally-motivated expenses,’ the report says.
The interim report also touched upon the issues of two violent incidents in Dmanisi and Rustavi where the physical confrontation took place between the ruling party and the UNM party supporters.
The son of the ruling party’s majoritarian candidate Davit Dautashvili was detained for injuring the UNM supporters in the face and head the day after the incident happened in Dmanisi.
TI Georgia publishes the following recommendations:
- Investigative bodies should promptly and impartially study alleged violence, intimidation and other cases that manifest signs of crime against entities participating in the elections.
- The Interior Ministry must proactively and promptly publish information concerning the process and results of investigations into election-related cases.
- The government must refrain from initiating large-scale social programmes shortly before elections so as to avoid damaging healthy competition among electoral subjects.
The local municipal elections in Georgia will be held on October 2 and over 3.4 million citizens of the country will be able to elect the mayors and members of local councils in various cities of Georgia.