Oppression on IDPs: “Who Does Not Want to Lose Accommodation, Vote for Number 5”

Coordinators of the National Movement compel voters to vote for the National Movement and its candidate. IDPs living in Hotel Tbilisi in Kutaisi complain about it.

“National MOvemnet’s coordinators came here several times; initially they started general discussion and then said we should circle number 5 on the elections. They told me directly that unless I sign the document, they would have expelled me from the house. As I guessed it was National Movement’s supporting document. Our neighbors got afraid and signed it. You know nobody wants to repeatedly become IDP in this country and start looking for accommodation again. There were some IDPs who did not sign it,” an IDP from Hotel Tbilisi said.

The UNM coordinators deny oppression on voters and claim they just described population and were distributing information materials.

“We do not do anything illegal. We are not agitating either. They can vote whoever they want. It is not our business,” they claimed.

Although coordinators deny the allegations, IDPs residing in some other residential buildings in Kutaisi also speak about oppression. According to humanrights.ge, UNM coordinators collect personal data of IDPs. They make IDPs to sign the so-called UNM supporting document and friendly suggest them: “Who does not want to lose accommodation, they should circle number 5 on the Election Day.”

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi