Election Violations in Gori

Lado Bichashvili, Shida Kartli

Nine complaints on the irregularities observed during the Presidential Election Day were filed to the Gori DEC # 32. DEC satisfied one complaint fully, six-partly and declined two. The complaints were mostly about procedural violations like: lack of carve on the seal, corrections in the final protocol and records in the logbook, etc. The complaints were mostly filed by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and ISFED. Representatives of the observation organizations requested disciplinary responsibility of the PEC chairpersons and deputies because of observed violations; the DEC satisfied only two of their complaints.

ISFED’s coordinator in Shida Kartli Tea Tedliashvili clarified with humanrights.ge that DEC carefully considered complaints, studied all complaints and passed adequate decisions.

“Data were corrected in the final protocols of the PECs # 57, 60, 97 and 101 though correction protocols were not attached to them. ISFED filed complaint on this violation to the Gori DEC # 32 and requested to impose disciplinary responsibility on the PEC chairpersons and secretaries; the DEC satisfied their complaints though did not impose 2000 lari fine on the chairpersons and secretaries since the violation could not change the election results; moreover, premeditated violation was not observed in any of the aforementioned cases. The DEC also relied on the Election Code, which offers cabal punishments on violations and DEC deducted 10 and 20% from the salaries of commission members as disciplinary punishment. We filed complaints on the violations observed in Precincts # 1, 51, 63 and 80, where protocols were not sealed. Our request on disciplinary punishment was satisfied. So, in total the DEC properly considered the complaints.”

Gori DEC Chairman Malkhaz Miruashvili said although polling process was conducted in peaceful environment, several procedural violations were observed which could not influence the election results and were of technical character only. “Main part of complaints referred to technical irregularities and disciplinary responsibility of the PEC chairpersons and secretaries; in one case complaint was filed about final protocol – PEC chairman and secretary at Kirbali village precinct # 57 had their salaries deducted at 10% because they had corrected the final protocol in pen. Similar violation was observed in several other precincts too. The Commission deducted 20% of salaries of the chairperson and secretary of the Sveneti PEC # 97. Several mistakes were made in the final protocol from the Akhalkhiza village PEC # 60 – it was not sealed but the protocols submitted by the observers were sealed for what the DEC gave notices to the PEC Chairperson and Secretary. The seal did not have carves in PEC # 98 that was procedural violation and the complaint was satisfied.  Despite procedural violation, the precinct commissions worked well. We will be more prepared for the upcoming self-governmental elections and these violations will also be eradicated,” Malkhaz Miruashvili told humanrights.ge.

According to the final protocol of the Gori DEC # 32, number of registered voters was 110 916; among them only 51 606 participated in the elections. 715 ballot papers were annulled; so 50 849 votes were registered; more than half of them – 31 421 people voted for Giorgi Margvelashvili.