Georgian Parliament Speaker highlights “13 instances of opposition misinformation" on general elections integrity

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday highlighted “13 instances of opposition misinformation” over the integrity of the October 26 general elections, asserting such claims aimed to “undermine the credibility” of the electoral process.

In an analysis presented at the ruling Georgian Dream party Tbilisi office, Papuashvili accused the opposition of spreading “false information”. 

He particularly noted that domestic media outlets “affiliated with opposition groups” had reported “fake information” following his Monday briefing, where he showcased a map indicating “active engagement” of GD officials in election campaigning.

The opposition criticised the map for having “omitted” the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), accusing the GD of “aligning with Kremlin interests”. 

Papuashvili dismissed the allegations as “misinformation”, countering that it had been the previous United National Movement authorities “whose policies led to the loss of Georgian territories during the 2008 war with Russia”.

The Speaker further clarified the purpose of the map was to illustrate the GD delegates’ “active engagement” in the election campaign, asserting the opposition had “failed to effectively campaign even in the capital city of Tbilisi”.

The official stressed the GD had designated 30 delegates in all regions and constituencies, who he claimed had held door-to-door meetings with voters, averaging 170 meetings per delegate, “demonstrating a comprehensive coverage of the constituencies”. 

Regarding claims of double voting through alleged duplicate voter lists, Papuashvili cited an audit conducted by “an American firm”, which he claimed had “confirmed” the voter lists on the Central Election Commission server matched those in the electronic voting devices. 

This is confirmed by an independent audit. Additionally, duplication is technically impossible, as verified by the audit. The printed list of voters is exactly what is recorded in the verification machine”, he explained, refuting claims that discrepancies existed.

The Speaker also alleged that exit polls commissioned by opposition-leaning domestic media had been “rigged”, noting a “serious difference” between the polls and the official election outcomes. 

He further accused domestic political actors, and President Salome Zourabichvili, of using “fake” exit poll results to “mislead the public and foreign partners”.

Papuashvili also addressed claims that more individuals had been registered for transfer boxes for remote voting than actually lived in specific locations, claiming findings had shown fewer requests for transfer boxes in this election compared to previous ones. 

He also refuted allegations of voting with identification card data belonging to persons other than voters, asserting “no evidence” had confirmed this claim.

On the matter of ballot stuffing, Papuashvili indicated there were only two cases reported, including one involving a Georgian Dream representative, with two individuals arrested. 

The second case involved an opposition representative found with 20 ballots, although Papuashvili noted the individual had been reportedly unable to cast them.

Papuashvili further clarified allegations regarding discrepancies in summary documents from polling stations, explaining that each polling station had used multiple electronic devices to report voting results, which were later synchronised. 

He claimed the opposition had presented results from a single device, comparing it with the final summary document to “mislead the public”. 

The Speaker also addressed concerns about cases of vote secrecy having been compromised, citing foreign elections, including the recent vote in Moldova, where he said similar voting methods had been employed.

The official also dismissed opposition claims that they could annul their party lists in a form of boycott before the first session of the new Parliament as “impossible” according to the law. 

Furthermore, he rejected assertions from Transparency International Georgia that the President could impede the convening of the new Parliament as “fake”.