NGOs report Election Day violations
21,483 representatives from parties, 31,310 observers from 100 local organisations and 1,024 foreign observers from 52 international organisations are monitoring today's municipal elections. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Tbilisi-based non-government organizations, including the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) and Transparency International Georgia, who are observing the municipal elections today, have reported on election violations throughout the country.
GYLA’s observers say that the polling procedures started on time without significant irregularities at almost all precincts. However, violations regarding the rules of casting lots, voting procedure, and campaigning have been observed.
The NGO says that Parliament Speaker Kakha Kutchava, who went to the polling station wearing a face mask with the symbol of the Georgian Dream at the polling station, has violated the rules of campaign silence.
The period of silence on election campaigning by political entities and media coverage of political campaigning comes into effect 24 hours before polling stations open on election day. Photo: IPN
GYLA observers also had to call the law enforcers ‘to cease recording the data of voters and to remove the agitation material at the perimeter of some polling stations’.
#GYLA’s observers identified violations regarding the rules of casting lots, #voting procedure, and campaigning in addition to problems concerning the control over the will of #voters.
— GYLA (@GYLA_CSO) October 2, 2021
Read more here ????https://t.co/M7CCD43Ur4 pic.twitter.com/7gxy9x0ciF
ISFED’s observers say nearly one-fourth of the polling stations were not ready to receive voters by 8:00 a.m., ‘which is a statistically significant worsening compared to the corresponding figure from 2017’.
Almost all ISFED observers were allowed to access the polling station and to observe the process without restrictions. However, in isolated cases they were deprived of the right to observe the process of casting lots”, ISFED reports.
It also notes that near some polling stations, their observers noted the presence of the so-called coordinators, who were marking the voters who had cast their ballots.
24.3% of polling stations were not ready to receive voters by 8:00 AM #Elections #GVote21 Read more at:https://t.co/9nrgZ8OQdf pic.twitter.com/rwVuM4UV0O
— ISFED (@isfed_official) October 2, 2021
TI Georgia meanwhile says that its observers have reported up to 100 ‘insignificant and relatively serious violations’, including:
- Alleged “Carousel”
- Alleged voter bribery
- Interfering and pressuring observers
- Violating secrecy of the vote
- Violating the 100-meter radius from the precinct
Based on TI Georgia's observation, the local self-government elections are being held 'in a largely peaceful environment'; vast majority of the electoral precincts have been opened on time.
Our observers have reported up to 100 insignificant and relatively serious violations. We have filed 14 complaints. Among the noteworthy cases of serious violations are alleged "carousel" and voter bribery. Read more in our statement:#GVote21 #WeObservehttps://t.co/k3ipXVUX5N
— Transparency Int'l GE (@Transparency_GE) October 2, 2021
A total of 3,743 polling stations have been established in 73 election constituencies (including nine polling stations in prisons and 70 special polling stations for the individuals who are in self-isolation because of coronavirus) for today's municipal elections.
21,483 representatives from parties, 31,310 observers from 100 local organisations and 1,024 foreign observers from 52 international organisations are monitoring the race.
A total of 619,562 voters (17.72 per cent of eligible voters) have cast their ballots in the Georgian municipal elections as of 12 p.m. today. Georgia’s Central Election Commission says that Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti is still the most active constituency where 27.4 per cent of registered voters have cast their vote.
United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says ‘Georgia needs more political stability and not more polarization’. Degnan, who is visiting the precincts in Marneuli as an election observer, says ‘this is a very important day for Georgia’.
“Election day is important, for sure, but it is just the tip of the iceberg”, said Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM) Albert Jonsson earlier today.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says that today’s municipal elections are a test for Georgian democracy, ‘which I hope that Georgia will successfully pass’, he said earlier today.
The Georgian Interior Ministry says the public order is being maintained throughout the country to ensure that citizens can cast their ballot in free and safe environment. Ministry representative Natia Kovziashvili said at a news briefing that the ministry representatives are in close communication with the local and international non-government organisations as well as the Public Defender’s Office.
An opposition Labour Party supporter has been allegedly stabbed at polling station No. 52 in Marneuli, Kvemo Kartli region. Eivaz Mamedov, 35, has been delivered to the hospital, Formula TV reports. The Labour Party member Ali Badirov accuses ruling Georgian Dream party supporter Gurkhan Ramazanov, in committing the offence.
The opposition United National Movement majoritarian candidate for Isani constituency Khatia Dekanoidze has posted on her Facebook page that the light went out in the biggest polling stations in the western Georgian city of Kutaisi.
Georgian law enforcers have detained seven individuals for administrative offences and have launched investigations on 16 criminal cases which took place during municipal elections on October 2.