Lost votes

 

Giorgi Janelidze

On September 2, 2008 Georgia terminated diplomatic relationship with the Russian Federation after the August War. Georgian diplomatic mission has not functioned in Russia for nine  years already. Therefore, since that time, polling stations were not open in Russia for the Georgian Parliamentary and Presidential Elections and Georgian citizens living in Russia cannot participate in the elections. 

Since 2008, four elections were held in the country – Local self-governmental elections in 2010 and in 2014, parliamentary elections in 2012 and Presidential Elections in 2013. According to the law, the local self-government’s elections are not conducted in outside Georgia. Therefore, Georgian citizens living in Russia by now have missed 3 elections. That means, thousands of votes were lost, which theoretically could influence fate of certain political parties. 

Lasha Tchighladze, the Deputy Director of the Press and Information Center at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to the question of humanrights.ge how many Georgian citizens live in the Russian Federation: “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has information only about those Georgian citizens who are registered in the data-base of the consulate. By September 30, 2016 their number is 3 233 citizens. Generally, the number of Georgian citizens registered in the consulate in the Russian Federation varied around 3000”. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have information about Georgian citizens living illegally in the Russian Federation. However, citizens living abroad illegally cannot participate in the ballot, because as soon as they appear in consulate, they will be forced to leave the country. Therefore, if the Parliamentary Elections were conducted in the Russian Federation, only 3233 citizens, who are registered in the consulate, would be able to participate.

Sopho Abutidze has been working in Saint-Petersburg for couple of years now. She is a photographer. In her correspondence with humanrights.ge she complained about deprived right of the Georgians living in Russia to vote: “I would like to participate in the elections. I am very disappointed because my voice is lost. I think it is violation of my rights and not only mine, but of many people, whose voice could be crucial for my country”, - Sopho wrote us on Facebook. 

According to the CEC’s information, on October 8, 2016 there were 55 polling stations in 40 countries open for the Parliamentary Elections. 49 694 voters are registered abroad. The CEC advised us to appeal the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comments on problems derived from ceased diplomatic relationship with the Russian Federation.