Issue of misuse of administrative resources

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

Opposition political parties state that during the pre-election campaign the ruling party misuses the administrative resources via social network. Specifically, they named personal correspondence of Misha Goginashvili, chairperson of the fraction Georgian Dream –Democratic Movement in the Gori municipality assembly, where he suggests concrete persons to open the video of the presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili and like it. 

“Georgian Dream has lost trust among the population. Considering that the public servants were instructed to like the facebook page of Salome Zurabishvili. Teachers, employees of kindergartens and other budget-funded entities are ordered to like all posts published on government-supported presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili’s facebook page,” said Beka Korchilava, member of the municipal assembly from the United National Movement. 

Misha Gogonashvili has not yet reacted to the information about his communication with people via social network. 

“I am not commenting on the issue,” Goginashvili keeps answering the journalists and cuts line.

Public servants and people working in the public legal entities under auspices of the governmental institutions have liked the video of the opening ceremony of Salome Zurabishvili’s election headquarter. Representatives of nongovernmental organization state it contains signs of misuse of administrative resources. Representatives of the regional offices of the HRC and Georgian Young Lawyers Association state that inter-agency task force shall study the case and find out who were addressees of Goginashvili’s messages. If they were public servants, then it was violation of the Election Code and the violator shall be fined with 2000 GEL.