About 2000 Voters Could not Vote in Batumi

Keti Labadze, Adjara

According to the Central Election Commission (CEC) 305 387 voters are registered in Adjara Autonomous Republic. 133 612 are registered in Batumi: 15 744 voters are registered in Keda; 69 377 voters in Kobuleti; 15 200 voters in Shuakhevi; 47 305 voters in Khelvachauri and 24 249 voters in Khulo. About 2000 voters were not allowed to participate in the elections in Batumi; they were removed from the voters’ list based on the City Hall’s letter.

Nanuli Bedinadze arrived at the Precinct # 52 in Batumi at 08:40 am to vote but there she was clarified that could not vote because she was not on the list. “I always voted here but now I was told that I could not vote because the house, where I lived, is under reconstruction and they removed me from the list. I live King Parnavaz Str. 91/92; before reconstruction 24 families lived in the house; right to vote was deprived from about 80 voters in our block; I expected something different; the elections are going on partially; our rights are breached; they breached my right to vote; I have to write a complaint but they said it cannot change anything; I cannot vote in any way,” Nanuli Bedinadze said. PEC secretary said the citizens had to check their names in the voters’ lists before the Election Day.

Civil Registration Agency has annulled registration of the citizens. DEC handed the list of those citizens to PECs two days before the Election Day. PEC Chairwoman Sopo Khojava said there are people, whose houses pulled down and new residential buildings are to be constructed in their places. 

Residents of 56 blocks in Batumi were not allowed to vote in the Presidential Elections. “Residents of the exploited houses were not allowed to vote, though they did not have information about it,” Petre Zambakhidze said at the briefing in the United National Movement’s Batumi office.

Batumi DEC clarified that they had to remove 400 voters from the list based on the official letter of the Ministry of Justice; owner of the constructing buildings requested to remove about 1 500 voters from the list.