The crucial parliamentary election in Georgia is scheduled for October 26. The crucial parliamentary elections in Georgia are scheduled for October 26.
These elections are not only important, but also unique in many other ways. These will be the country’s first fully proportional elections. They will also be the first electronic voting, with 90% of voters using electronic machines at polling stations. The fact that this is the first proportional election, with a 5% electoral threshold that parties must meet to fill 150 Parliament seats, has led parties to form coalitions. The main four candidates to pass the threshold-the three most prominent coalitions of opposition, as well As the For Georgia Party- have signed up to President’s Georgian Charter.
The 19 registered parties are divided into three main groups (read more here):
* (41) Georgian Dream is the current ruling party, united with its spin-off political movement People’s Power.
* (5) Unity – to Save Georgia which brings together the former ruling United National Movement plus Strategy Agmashenebeli, and various old and fresh faces;
* (4) Coalition for Change – another union of former UNM faces, brings together Ahali led Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia and Girchi – More Freedom, led by Zura Japaridze and Droa, led Elene Khoshtaria.
* (9) Strong Georgia is an alliance that positions itself as being equidistant between UNM and GD. It is led by Lelo For Georgia and includes For People, led by Anna Dolidze and Citizens, led by Aleko Elsashvili and Freedom Square, led by Levan Tsutskiridze.
* (25) For Georgia led by former GD Prime minister Giorgi Gakharia – another self-positioned “neither UNM or GD” force, consisting primarily of former government officials and members who have deserted the Georgian Dream.
This live blog, launched just two weeks before the elections, will replace our regular Election Beat and keep you informed of all the events surrounding them.
ALL TIMES ARE LOCAL
Tuesday, October 22,
IRI Deploys a Short-Term Observer for Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections
The International Republican Institute (IRI), as part of their ongoing international election monitoring mission for Georgia’s October 26, parliamentary elections, announced the arrival of short-term observers. The mission is headed by former U.S. Rep. John Shimkus and IRI President Daniel Twining. The mission will be able to monitor and assess the electoral process more effectively with the addition of 28 observers. They will join the 20 long-term observers who have been in the country since July.
Margareta Cederfeldt, Swedish MP, said: “The strength and integrity of Georgia’s democratic processes is crucial for ensuring that the country continues its path towards European integration.” “Our election day observation efforts will provide vital insight into the integrity and adherence of the process, which is essential for Georgia’s future in the EU.”
Daniel Twining, President of the IRI, said that “Georgia’s path to democracy” is at the heart of these elections. “We look forward in being on the ground for them to reflect the will and aspirations of the Georgians, who IRI polls show want to live a democratic society.
Monday, October 21,
The Georgian Orthodox Church receives land plots from the government
According to the government orders signed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, and published today, land was given to the Orthodox Church of Georgia in the last week. According to the October 17 decree, the church received 3,610 sq/m of land and 160 sq/m of land in the village Shuasurebi district Chokhatauri for 1 GEL. The same decree also shows that 300 sq/m in the village Salibauri (Khelvachauri District) was given to the Church for 1 GEL. A second decree dated 18 October shows that the government gave 1619 sq/m non-agricultural lands and buildings/structures on Jordania Street, in the town Lanchkhuti for 99 years free to the church.
The Government Declares October 25 Holiday
The Government Administration declared October 25, the day before elections, a holiday based on the address of Central Election Commission. The decision was made because more than half the polling stations are located in public institutions such as schools, kindergartens, and other public institutions. Out of the 3 031 precincts in Georgia, 483 are located in kindergartens and 1 675 in schools. The Government declared October 25 as a public holiday in order to allow certain works and equipment be installed at the precincts.
The National Democratic Institute (NDI), Deploys an International Delegation for Observation of Elections in Georgia
The delegation includes 22 political leaders and civic leaders from nine countries, as well as election experts and regional specialists. They join six long-term thematic analysts who were deployed to Georgia in July. The delegation is led by the Honorable Tom Malinowski, a former United States congressman and former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Ambassador Per Eklund, a former European Union ambassador to Georgia, and Dr. Tamara Cofman Wittes, NDI President.
Transparency International Georgia has released an interim report on the “Misuse Administrative Resources in Parliamentary Elections 2020”. The monitoring was conducted between July 1 and October 15, with findings that the line between ruling party and state had been effectively erased. This is “a serious problem for the fairness” of the election environment.
For Georgia Speaks Out of Pre-Election Violence
Natia Mezvrishvili is the Deputy Chairperson of the opposition For Georgia Party. She held a press conference in which she claimed that those who had shone lasers on President Salome Zurabishvili at the massive pro-EU rally a day earlier were the same people who had attacked For Georgia members several times before. She said that some of these people were members of the GD Youth organization. She also stated that the Special Investigation Service had not responded to these cases.
My Voice Speaks Out of Pre-Election Violence
Londa Toloraia from the My Voice Election Observation Mission held a weekly press briefing to discuss pre-election violations. She spoke of recent media reports about alleged confiscations of ID cards and personal data from public sector workers and their families, despite the fact that the relevant authorities, including the Personal Data Protection Service (PDPS), the Special Investigation Service (SIS) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office have remained silent. She said that the government agencies provide this information to the ruling parties so they can better control their voters and possibly manipulate elections. The GD is also running a disinformation campaign as if electronic voting is not secret.
Toloraia stated that My Voice will have 4200 observers in total throughout the country and in all Electoral Districts.
Sunday, October 20,
Rally ‘Georgia chooses EU’ ahead of the October 26 elections
Six days before the crucial Georgian parliamentary elections, Georgians took the streets of Tbilisi to demonstrate to the world that Georgians will vote for pro-Western political parties on October 26, a rally entitled “Georgia Chooses EU”. The rally began by marching from five different places in Tbilisi. Crowds then converged on Freedom Square. The night began with a concert of popular Georgian musicians, followed by speeches from CSO representatives and activists. According to different estimates, between 90,000 and 100,000 people attended the rally.
Saturday, October 19,
Kutaisi hosts a GD Rally
The ruling party’s regional tour included a rally in the western Georgian town of Kutaisi. The rally followed a similar script to GD’s previous similar gatherings. Speakers included Irakli Garibashvili (party chair), Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze (Tbilisi mayor), Parliamentary Majority leader Mamuka Papuashvili (Parliament Speaker), and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. Honorary Chair Bidzina Ivanishvili gave the closing address. He again slammed UNM and its rule while praising Georgian Dream, including for “continuous Peace.” He also hammered the party’s “promises,” to ban the opposition and crack down on LGBT.
Friday, October 18,
According to recent reports, Georgian Dream officials are allegedly confiscating ID cards from opposition-supporting civil servants in the regions of Georgia. Ana Tsitlidze, Tamar Kordzaia and other members of the Unity – National Movement coalition raised this issue in their briefings. Mtavari TV conducted a journalistic inquiry into their allegations, which found evidence of the practice. The Rustavi mayor has already denied these allegations, and the Public Defender called on law enforcement agencies in Rustavi to investigate the cases.
CEC Announces Total Voter Number
Natia Ioseliani, the Central Election Spokesperson, announced in a press briefing that the total number of voters is 3,508 294. The majority, 3,113.747, of these voters will use the new electronic voting technologies. Ioseliani pointed out that 135,922 of the total number are first-time voters. There are also 95,910 Georgians living abroad.
OSCE PA to Observe Election Day
A team of 60 OSCE staff and parliamentarians will be deployed to Georgia to observe the elections on October 26. The team will receive a briefing on the pre-election scenario from the election administration, the civil society, the candidates, party representatives, and experts, before being deployed in various regions of Georgia to monitor election day. According to a press release from the OSCE PA, the OSCE PA team is working closely with the ODIHR Election Observation mission and partner delegations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PAA) and the European Parliament. “Our large delegation shows the great interest that the international community has in Georgia’s upcoming election,” said OSCE PA president Pia Kauma, who is leading the OSCE PA delega.
Thursday, October 17,
ComCom ruled that pro-government media violated the law
The Communications Commission has upheld the complaint of Unity-UNM against the progovernment channels Imedi POSTV Studio Maestro, for not broadcasting UNM political ads. Since October 10, UNM ads have not been shown on these three channels. ComCom also ruled that POSTV violated the law for not disclosing the details of the public opinions polls. Only if the court upholds ComCom’s ruling will the government-friendly media be fined.
Coalition for Change Releases “Plan 4-4-4”
Nika Gvaramia announced the Coalition for Change’s plan just four days after forming the parliamentary majority if it were formed by the opposition. The four policy priorities are: 1. the start of EU accession negotiations; 2. the repealing of the Foreign Agents Law, and other anti-democratic laws; 3. tax reductions for small and mid-sized businesses; and 4. bringing the education funding to the EU standard by 2028. Gvaramia reaffirmed the coalition’s commitment to a technical administration, whether it is appointed before or after elections.
Wednesday, October 16
President refuses to attend interdepartmental commission session
Justice Minister Rati Bregadze informed journalists that President Salome Zurabishvili had been invited to today’s interdepartmental meeting, but refused to attend. The Ministry will send a second invitation to the Presidential Administration asking for a delegation to attend the next session. Her invitation was based on her statement on October 8 when she announced that the Coordination Platform would be created at the Orbeliani Palace the day before the elections to “monitor everything that will take place on that day” as well as “to celebrate together the victory.” The Justice Minister said that such an initiative might violate the electoral code.
PM grants state protection to CEC head
Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia, has signed a decret granting Giorgi Kalandarishvili the protection of the state. According to a document dated 10 October, the protection was needed before the elections because of “relevant conditions” until the necessity ends. The protection will be provided the Special State Protection Service.
Tuesday, October 15,
ISFED Speaks on Voter Pressure
International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy reported cases of people involved in pre-election campaigns putting pressure on voters to support the ruling party. These cases included the temporary and urgent handing of identity cards and lists of possible supporters of the ruling parties, as well as the distribution of goods and petrol vouchers in exchange for support.
ISFED reminded voters to keep their voting secret and urged them not to share any personal information with anyone. The organization also called for the relevant authorities investigate the cases.
Opposition Politicians Against GD’s War Banners
Khatia dekanoidze, a member of the Unity-UNM opposition party, and Gigi ugulava, a member of the ruling party’s Georgian Dream coalition, released a video in which they smeared white paint on banners that contrasted the war in Ukraine to the peace offered by the ruling group in Georgia.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, GD MP and Parliamentary majority leader, reacted to this incident by saying that Dekanoidze, and Ugulava, should be held responsible under the criminal article, and that, by erasing “No to War” from the banner they showed that they remained ‘loyal’ to the war.
Monday, October 14,
15:30 – Georgian Ministry of Education, Science and Youth denies claims of illegally collecting personal data
The Georgian Ministry of Education, Science and Youth denies the information spread by President Salome Zurabishvili, that personal data of students is collected in schools to specific purposes.
In a statement, the Ministry stated that spreading such “disinformations” is intended to discredit the education system. The Ministry stated that it is routine to ask students for updated information regarding their parents and that schools update the information regularly in the system. This includes the parent/legal representative’s contact phone number, home address, and email address. The statement stated that “we call on individuals to refrain spreading misinformation which serves to intentionally mislead public”.
Salome Zurabishvili, the president of Georgia, wrote on her Facebook profile that schools ask children for their parents’ numbers. This is a violation to personal data. Londa Toloraia, a representative of the Electoral Observation Mission “My Voice”, expressed the same concern earlier in the day.
11:30 – Observation Mission ‘My Voice’ Talks of Government Pressure on Voters
Londa Toloraia was the representative of the “My Voice” electoral observation mission. She gave a presentation on the violations that were identified by the civil society during the lead-up to the election. Toloraia stated that, on 12 October, through journalistic investigations, new cases of abuse of administrative resources were resurfaced. Civil servants were asked to collect personal information about themselves and their family members, allegedly in order to pass this data on to the ruling parties. She said that the media became aware of the special list, which included information on civil servants from the MoD and MIA as well as Gardabani municipality, State Gas and Oil Corporation and other sources. She said the information raises reasonable suspicions that there are facts relating to illegal acquisition and usage of data, abuse of authority and coercive influences on voters’ will.
She called on the Special Investigation Service, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, to investigate these claims and make the results of the investigation public. Toloraia noted that reports have been made about public schools asking for personal information from parents. She asked the Ministry of Education what this means.
Sunday, October 13,
13:12 – ComCom Rules that pro-government media broke the law
The Communications Commission upheld Strong Georgia’s complaint. It issued a protocol for administrative violation against the pro-government channels Rustavi 2 and Imedi, which had not aired the political ad of the coalition. ComCom stated that Imedi violated the law by not publishing information about its opinion polls. Imedi TV had announced earlier that it refused to broadcast campaign ads for the opposition coalitions as a response to the refusal by the opposition-leaning stations to broadcast ads of GD.
Vandalized Unity-UNM Office
The Unity-UNM opposition group said that its office in Varketili, a district of Tbilisi, had been vandalized. The images show broken windows and bottles of paint thrown in the office.
Friday, October 11,
Three opposition-leaning media fined
The Court fined Mtavari TV (about USD 1841) and Formula TV (about GEL 5000) for not airing political ads from the ruling Georgian Dream Party, which contrasted war-torn Ukraine to the peace offered by Georgian Dream. [Read more about this case HERE].
OSCE/ODIHR Releases Interim Report
The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission issued its interim report assessing the election climate and related developments leading up to the October 26 parliamentary polls. According to the report, “the elections are taking place in a context of entrenched polarization and political tensions, continued distrust of state institutions, and concerns over protection of the right of association and expression.”
Savanta Public Opinion Results at 15:00
Savanta, an English company, released results of a public poll commissioned by Media Freedom Fund and Mtavari TV. The survey surveyed 1,561 randomly selected voters in Georgia, excluding occupied territories. The margin of error for this survey is +-2.48% with a level of confidence of 95%. People answered:
* Georgian Dream – People’s Power – 36%
* Coalition for Change 18%
* Unity – National Movement – 14%
* Gakharia for Georgia – 10%
* Strong Georgia – 8%
* Girchi – 3%;
* Georgia Patriots Alliance (3%);
* Georgian Labor Party (2%);
* Other – 6%
13:28 – CEC Decides To Open 7 Additional Precincts
The Central Election Commission decided to open seven additional precincts in order to accommodate the additional foreign voters. These precincts are being opened in New York, Berlin Barcelona, Rome, Athens Thessaloniki and Paris. After all requests have been fully analyzed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may also provide updated data to CEC.
Thursday, October 10,
20:50 – CEC: 95 834 Emigrants Vote on October 26th
According to data provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Central Election Commission, there are currently 95,834 voters who have the right to vote overseas. The CEC decided to open 60 precincts, which would accommodate 65.508 expatriates in 42 countries. However, now it is necessary to open seven additional precincts, in these countries, for the additional 30.326 expatriates.
The CEC will discuss this issue at its upcoming meeting, as well as the decision not to open a precinct there due to the political and military tensions. The CEC has already stated that a precinct will not be opened in Ukraine for the same reasons.
ComCom allegedly restricts Gakharia for Georgia’s free political ad rights
Giorgi Gakharia, the former prime minister, said during a press briefing that the Communications Commission was restricting his party’s right to air a free political ad on TV channels. According to the regulations a political party is entitled to a free TV advertisement if they receive at least 4% in five public opinion polls. The Public Broadcaster of Georgia granted the “For Georgia”, party the status of “qualified subject” based on Edison Research’s polls conducted for Formula TV, a channel that leans towards the opposition. ComCom fined Public Broadcaster and asked Formula TV for the documentation Edison Research used to verify the results.
“I want Kakha Bekauri to know that I am personally addressing him. I understand that slavery is a quick and easy way to get rich. But the National Communications Regulatory Commission, which is an independent agency, should serve the citizens in Georgia, particularly during the pre-election season, and do all it can to ensure they have the opportunity to make an educated choice. I, Giorgi Gakharia, want to warn Kakha that he will be held accountable and that no one is exempt from this responsibility,”
Background to earlier developments
* 08/10/2024: Campaign Beat: October 1-7
* 02/10/2024: Campaign Beat: September 24-30
* 24/09/2024: Campaign Beat: September 17 – 23
* 17/09/2024: Campaign Beat: September 10-16
* 10/09/2024: Campaign Beat: September 3-9.
* 03/09/2024: Campaign Beat: August 20, September 2,
* 20/08/2024: Campaign Beat: August 6-19
* 06/08/2024: Campaign Beat: July 23, August 5,
* 23/07/2024: Campaign Beat: July 10-22
* 10/07/2024: Campaign Beat: June 25, July 9,
* 25/06/2024 – Campaign Beat: June 10-24
* 30/04/2024: Campaign Beat: April 16-30
* 16/04/2024: Campaign Beat: March 30 to April 15
* 01/04/2024: Campaign Beat: March 18 – 29
Peskov: Russia does not interfere in Georgian elections, unlike the West
The debates in the Bundestag reflect different views of the parties on developments in Georgia
Interim Report of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Monitoring Mission
Read More @ civil.ge