Central Election Commission releases alleged messages from National Movement party showing "intense pressure" ahead of election day
The Central Election Commission released messages allegedly showing pressure from the United National Movement on its members on Friday. Photo via CEC.
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The Central Election Commission has released messages allegedly sent to the body by the United National Movement party and showing "intense pressure" on the commission as it prepares for the municipal elections on Saturday.
Screenshots of two text messages were released by the CEC on Friday on social media, with the commission saying one had been sent by UNM candidate Zviad Kuprava and the other - from an unidentified number - in the name of the party.
The former text appeared to be urging CEC Saburtalo District Commission chair Beso Lachashvili to resign ahead of the election, and expressed support in case of making such a move. The latter message called on the body to refuse holding an "already falsified election".
The second communication also urged the commission to "stand next to the people in this struggle" and "come out and declare" their refusal to organise the municipal voting, promising "untouchability under a new government" in such case. The text was undersigned "United National Movement".
The election body also alleged "misinformation" on social media in the form of photos of voter cards that allegedly showed Commission-issued cards for deceased citizens. The CEC said it had checked the information on citizens mentioned in the cards with the Public Service Development Agency and confirmed the claims as false.
On Saturday the CEC will hold municipal elections across the country, including a vote for Tbilisi mayor.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia responded to the non-profit organisation Civil Election Commission’s statement that 683 dead individuals are in electoral voters’ lists in 25 Georgian municipalities and called it ‘disinformation and attempt to mislead citizens.’ The CEC representative Tornike Gigisvanidze stated that it is impossible for an individual to vote instead of a deceased person ‘as the voter is obliged to present the ID (identification document) card at the polling station.’
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has reported earlier today that the cases of pressure, abuse and threat on the district and precinct election commission members have increased ahead of municipal elections. "In some cases, there has been an attempt by observers to overstep their authority to stage a provocation,” a spokesperson of the CEC Natia Ioseliani stated.
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) has stated that some political parties ‘are exercising unprecedented pressure’ on its members which ‘disrupts the activities’ of the district election commissions and ‘poses threats’ to the general election environment ahead of the October 2 municipal elections.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) head Giorgi Kalandarishvili has stated that the reason for the presence of dead individuals in the unified list of voters is the deadline which allows an individual to appeal to the body no later than 18 days before the election day in order to make changes in the list. "During these last 18 days, unfortunately, people are dying every day, therefore, in these 18 days, those who have died could not be removed from the list. These people obviously will be [in the list],” Kalandarishvili said.