Londa Toloraia is the spokesperson for the monitoring mission “My Voice” and she says that during the current pre-election phase, the illegal collection and usage of voters‘ personal information, including special personal information, by the ruling parties, has become a problem.
Londa Toloraia says that confiscation of voter identification cards is also a serious problem.
The “My Voice” mission has completed the registration process of observers. Total 4200 observers have registered. We have conducted around 50 training sessions. Our mobile teams and observers will monitor the election in all constituencies. We work with local monitoring groups to ensure that the votes of all voters are protected. We will announce here that the “My Voice” observation mission will present its pre-election assessment report on October 25. During the current pre-election phase, the illegal collection and usage of voters’ personal information, including special personal information, by the ruling parties is a problem. The ruling party has access to personal data that is only available to state agencies. State agencies are transferring voter data to the ruling party in order to make managing voters easier.
We have yet to hear an explanation from the Special Investigation Service or the Personal Data Protection Service despite the fact that they have been repeatedly asked to perform their duties during the pre-election period.
The confiscation of voter identification cards is also a problem. Dutzende of citizens have also contacted our coalition about these facts. In this case, too, despite that the media and opposition parties spread information about the confiscation and blackmail of ID cards, and the involvement of the law enforcement agencies and public servants in such processes, the responsible investigating agencies – specifically, the Special Investigation Service, and the Prosecutor’s Office – do not make a statement regarding these facts.
It is impossible to confiscate IDs to achieve noble goals. Widespread information leads to reasonable suspicions that confiscating ID cards has the intention of hindering the exercise of the will in elections, influencing the will of voters, and falsifying elections by bribing and using confiscated IDs to participate in elections. All of these crimes, 162 (obstructing exercise of will in elections-subordinate to Special Investigation Service), and 1641 (bribery by voters-subordinate to Prosecutor’s Office), are crimes that are subordinated to both the Special Investigation Service as well as the Prosecutor’s Office. We urge both investigative agencies, to begin an investigation immediately and inform the public about the investigation conducted. The information that has been spread in the media confirms these facts are of a large scale. It is only a week before the elections and the inaction by the investigative agencies damages the rights of voters to express their true wishes in the elections.
The Anti-corruption Bureau is inactive, just like investigative agencies. We have asked the anti-corruption office for the third time to investigate the funding and donors who have received millions in GEL from state purchases. However, we have yet to hear any information or explanation about the implemented response.
The election campaigning of representatives of the ruling parties continues at events funded by the state budget. This is illegal and a violation of Georgia’s election legislation. The election commissions are also staffed by city council employees, city halls and supporters of the “Georgian Dream”.
There is a disinformation campaign in the public sector, including as to whether electronic voting is secret or not. This is a lie. Such lies are only spread in the interest of the ruling party, and have no connection to reality. We explain that the voter verification machines and the vote counting machines have no relation to each other. The electronic voting procedure ensures that the vote is kept secret. Londa Tholoraia said, “I encourage you to express freely your true will, and make your choice in accordance with it.”
Read More @ www.interpressnews.ge