NGOs Think Prime-Minister Breached Law When Giving A Gift to Married Couple at Shuamtoba Celebration

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

Nongovernmental organizations evaluated the activities of the presidential candidate of the Georgian Dream and prime-minister before presidential elections as illegal. They responded to Giorgi Margvelashvili’s participation in the Tushetoba celebration and giving a diamond ring to a just-married couple during Shuamtoba celebration by Bidzina Ivanishvili.

On August 10, public holiday Shuamtoba was celebrated in Beshumi resort in Adjara. Traditionally, just-married couple visits the celebration, receives gifts and congratulations from people. This year, Prime Minister gave a present to the couple.

Nongovernmental organization International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy requested the prosecutor’s office to study the fact. 

“The fact of giving a present to a voter by prime-minister might contain signs of administrative or criminal law violations that is related with the price of the present,” the statement on the blog of the ISFED reads.

According to the ISFED, if the price of the gift is less than 100 lari, it might breach the administrative law. If the price exceeds 100 lari, the action might contain signs of criminal offence. In accordance to the Article 1641 of the Criminal Code of Georgia “Giving, promising, transferring money, obligations or other property or service directly or indirectly to avoid restrictions of Georgian legal system via hypocritical arrangements or by other arrangements is punishable with imprisonment for three years.”

Media reported about the fact of giving a gift to the married couple by the Prime Minister. Photos were uploaded on the official Facebook page of Archil Khabadze, chairman of Adjara Government. Initial text to the photos read: “…according  to traditions, the just married couple attending the Shuamtoba holiday organized engagement ceremony and received presents from the Prime-Minister and Chairman of Adjara Government.”

What presents did the couple receive? We asked this question to Natia Sirabidze, head of public relation department at Adjara government. 

“I was not there and as I learned it was joint present. One symbolic present. The state funds were spent on it,” Sirabidze said.

Later, the text of the statement on Khabadze’s facebook page was amended and it did not say anything about the presents given by the Prime Minister and chairman of Adjara government. Sirabidze said there was a mistake in the initial text. They even removed the photo from the Facebook page where PM was giving a ring to the bride.

Nongovernmental organizations responded to presidential candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili’s visit at Tushetoba holiday. On August 3, Tushetoba was celebrated in Omalo village. Akhmeta district majoritarian candidate introduced Margvelashvili as a presidential candidate. It is noteworthy that the event was funded from the local budget. Lawyer Irine Urushadze of the Transparency International – Georgia told Information Center of Kakheti that invitation of a person with declared election goals might be viewed as illegal donation.

“Giorgi Margvelashvili is not registered as a presidential candidate yet and he had no legal obligation to refrain from participating in this event as well as to resign from the position of the Minister of education. However, since the pre-election campaign is officially underway, his registration as a presidential candidate is just a formal procedure. On that ground, future candidate of the Georgian Dream shall adhere to: the OSCE Copenhagen document, according to which there should be a clear distinction between the state and the political parties, which was violated in the above-mentioned cases; shall adhere to the high political standard he has declared and refrain from using administrative resources before officially registering as a candidate for presidency, since the voters already perceive him as one,” Irine Urushadze told ICK.