TI Georgia: ‘31 October elections were a step back compared with 2016 parliamentary elections’
TI recommends the Central Election Commission (CEC) ensure the publication of initial preliminary results as promptly as possible in order to avoid questions concerning its work and urges Georgian law enforcers to investigate all cases containing elements of crimes. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Local NGO Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) says the analysis of 170 election-related violations and 46 complaints ‘makes it clear that the Georgian parliamentary elections were a step back compared with the 2016 parliamentary elections’.
In its summary of monitoring the October 31 parliamentary elections, TI writes that election day was marked by physical confrontations outside polling stations, obstruction of the work of observers and journalists, including physical attacks on journalists and damaging of their property.
TI says that the Central Election Commission (CEC) published the initial preliminary election results 7.5 hours after the closing of polling stations, which represents a deterioration of the practice established during the elections over the last eight years, and gives the opposition parties reason to suspect manipulation occurred in the results.
Obstruction of observers’ work and registration of complaints
Five individuals physically assaulted a TI observer outside polling station No. 12 in Rustavi. TI’s observers and observers from other organizations were unfairly expelled from several polling stations.
Violation of vote secrecy
There were several cases in multiple polling stations where voters showed their ballots to individuals standing nearby upon exiting the booths. Stationary video cameras were installed too close to the voting booths in several polling stations, which in some cases could monitor voter’s choices. Several commission members and voters took photos of their own ballots after filling them out.
Violation of COVID-19 safety rules
In multiple polling stations, commission members did not wear protective shields, distancing was often not observed, and the rules of wearing face masks were also violated. In the second half of the day and especially during the vote count even face masks were often not worn.
Qualifications of commission members
In most polling stations, insufficient qualifications of commission members made it difficult to conduct the electoral process according to the rules. This was a problem during the vote and during the process of counting votes.
TI recommends the CEC ensure the publication of initial preliminary results as promptly as possible in order to avoid questions concerning its work and urges Georgian law enforcers to investigate all cases containing elements of crimes.
The ruling Georgian Dream party expects to take at least 92 seats in the 150-member parliament after the second round of majoritarian elections in 14 of 30 majoritarian constituencies in Tbilisi and regions which is likely to take place on November 21.
Opposition Mtavari Arkhi TV Director NIka Gvaramia said after the publication of its IPSOS exit poll results that the ruling Georgian Dream party is losing in the parliamentary elections, this is why the Central Election Commission (CEC) is not publishing the initial results of the voting.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has started an investigation into nine incidents that were observed during the parliamentary elections today, announced Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Kakha Sabanadze. He said that in total 10 individuals were arrested in relation to seven cases of administrative violations.
Five individuals have been detained for disobedience to the police and hooliganism following a clash at a polling station in Gldani district of Tbilisi earlier today, Patrol Police Head Vazha Siradze has stated.
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) NGO has released the results of parallel vote tabulation (PVT) which says that the ruling Georgian Dream party received 45.8% of the vote, while the United Opposition bloc (with the United National Movement) received 26.4% of the vote.
The Central Election Commission of Georgia should recount votes in eight per cent of polling stations where there were more ballots than registered voters, says the chief executive director of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), Elene Nizharadze.
Opposition parties which surpassed the one percent election threshold in Saturday’s parliamentary elections in Georgia or nearly did so say they will not take up their mandates in parliament and instead will take to the streets and call for repeat elections. Leaders of the United National Movement, European Georgia, Lelo for Georgia, Strategy Aghmashenebeli and the United Georgia-Democratic Movement opposition parties have accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of vote buying and threatening voters.
Chairman of Dmansi City Council Merab Okriashvili has been attacked and injured earlier today, though police have yet to identify the attackers.
“Georgia’s parliamentary elections were competitive and, overall, fundamental freedoms were respected”, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in its preliminary statement today.
Local NGOs have called for a recount of election results in over 100 polling stations following the parliamentary elections on October 31.
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has released an analysis report on Georgia’s parliamentary elections, which reads that alleged irregularities in results summaries, widespread reports of potentially intimidating behaviour in or around polling stations, delays in the publication of results, and persistent perceptions of pre-election abuses of power detracted from notable improvements in the legal framework and administrative procedures for Georgia’s parliamentary elections.
Transparency International Georgia’s (TI Georgia) observation of the parliamentary elections from July 1 to November 22 shows that the misuse of administrative resources during electoral processes is still problematic for Georgia.
The newly published report of non-governmental organization Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) reads that the media environment in the country has significantly worsened and professional activities have become a threat to journalists, especially for critical media staff.