Bribed Elections in Mountainous Adjara

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

United National Movement gained votes in the mountainous districts of Adjara autonomous republic in exchange of financial assistance and promises. Khulo district residents said voting for election number 5 during the elections cost 100 or 200 lari in their district; residents of Shuakhevi district said they were promised freedom of prisoner Vazha Khimshiashvili.

Khulo district residents said before elections village attorneys and district governors often visited them before elections and offered to vote for the election number 5 in exchange of 100 or 200 lari.

“Village attorney used to meet people in cornfields. He offered them money from 100 up to 200 lari in exchange of votes for number 5. He offered 200 lari to those people who were more unlikely to vote for the UNM. In fact, they purchased votes and won elections in this way. Acting governor also participated in voter-buying,” said Nodar Katamadze from Khulo.

Temur Meskhidze, Khulo resident: “Whatever the former ruling party did here was done to gain our votes during the elections. Before, nobody paid attention to us. They promised to construct a mill here but did not keep the promise then. They distributed 100 lari for signing election number 5 on the Election Day.”

Khulo district governor Davit Chelidze denied information and said. “I was head of the election HQ and carried out ordinary pre-election campaign. I had no connection with money. Population can rumor about many things.”

Residents of Nigazeuli village in the mountainous Adjara blame former head of Adjara government Levan Varshalomidze in voter-buying. He said on September 27, Levan Varshalomidze met Shuakhevi residents where local population requested him to release prisoner (former head of district forest service).

Bichiko Khimshiashvili, resident of NIgazeuli village: “We asked Varshalomidze to release Vazha Khimshiashvili at that meeting. He said “if you mark number 5 on the Election Day, we will bring Vazha Khimshiashvili to the district within two days after the elections. They know people would support them because of Khimshiashvili and they used us. Finally, National Movement gained most votes in Shuakhevi. People were deceived.”

Vitali Khimshiashvili, son of the prisoner Vazha Khimshiashvili: “They said they could release him even before elections but opposition would evaluate it as pre-election PR and could not release him in advance – former chairman of the Adjara autonomous republic Levan Varshalomidze told me at the meeting.”

Human Rights Center tried to get in touch with Levan Varshalomidze but could not. According to the spread information, he has left Georgia.

In the Parliamentary Election of October 1, 2012 National Movement – More Benefit to People gained much more votes than other political parties in the three districts of Adjara: Khulo, Shuakhevi and Keda. The highest rating was gained in Shuakhevi district. Here, UNM received 61, 46% in proportional elections and 62, 58% in the elections of majoritarian candidate (MP Omar Megrelidze won elections).