“Trust but Check-it”- Election Slogan of the National Movement

Maka Malakmadze,Batumi

During the elections of the Supreme Council of the Adjara Autonomous Republic on November 3 people were called at home and asked whether they came to the polling stations to vote. One of the voters registered at Batumi Polling Station 23 received such a telephone call, from number 895 30 55 25. The Human Rights Center called the number and there was reply:
“It is Lana Murvanidze, a representative of the election HQ of Zaza Gogotishvili (candidate of the National Movement). Have I broken the law by making a call? Yes, I called the voter according to the election list. I just wondered whether people took part inn the elections or not. Lana Murvanidze has not exactly explained what list she was talking, and it was clear that she did not want to continue carrying-on this conversation with us.

Before the elections

Although National Movement distributed special invitations to the families before the elections, only 43 % of Batumi population exercised their democratic rights and took the time to visit the polls.

Reportedly, 45,000 copies of the invitations to the elections were printed in Adjara. It is noteworthy that the ruling party invites the voters to elect representatives to the High Council but this name for the legislative body of the Adjara Autonomous Republic was used several years ago and since 2004 it has changed into Supreme Council.

You can see the list of those buildings where election posters can be fixed on www.sec.ge the website of the Supreme Election Commission. The Human Rights Center just observed several streets in Batumi and we could still saw some posters in those streets that were not on the list. However, we were most surprised at the sight of the posters of the SEC alongside the election posters of various parties.

How Many Seats Will Each Party have on the Council?

Supposedly, Adjara Supreme Council will be represented by two political parties. According to the preliminary results of the SEC United National Movement is the winner with 78 % of total votes. The second party that has overcome 5 % barrier is Christian-Democrats. This party received 15 % of the votes. Other political parties gained 2 % or less votes in the elections, which includes the following parties: “Chven Tviton”, “Kartuli Dasi”, “Mretsvelebi” and “United Communist Party.” These data coincides with the data of the SEC that was received from 328 poll stations. There were total 334 stations in Adjara; the results of three of them were cancelled.

Representatives of the ruling party are leaders in the elections among the single mandate candidates in 6 election districts of Adjara. Adjara Supreme Council will have a total of 18 members.

Violations and Observers

Representatives of 9 local and 22 international organizations observed the elections of Adjara Supreme Council. Many violations were observed. However, officials from the SEC consider them as minor. According to them, 102 complaints were filed in election polls and 4 complaints were filed into election districts.

People tried to vote with expired and false IDs. Several cases were also observed when under-age people even attempted to vote. Only after the involvement of observers similar incidents were eradicated.

Representatives of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association state that several cases were observed in polling station # 20 in Batumi, polling station # 9 in Khelvachauri and Kobuleti PS # 61 when people tried to vote instead of their relatives. The organization requests to abolish the election results of these stations.

An attempt was made to bribe an observer at one of the polling stations in the Khelvachauri election district. 14 ballot papers were discovered in one envelope in polling station # 37 in the same district. Total 16 such “over stuffed” envelopes were discovered in the polling station.

Polling station # 1 in Batumi: 333 people had to vote at a special polling station that was opened for law enforcers and people without addresses. However, none of them had their current place of living indicated on the registration list as their address. While according to the legislation, only people registered in Adjara Autonomous republic can participate in local elections.

There was difference between the number of ballot papers indicated in the protocol on acceptance and the actual number of ballot papers in the registration list at polling station # 49 in Batumi. Davit Berdzenishvili was the chairperson of this polling station and he also ran the station # 66 during parliamentary elections on May 21 2008. Then he was seriously warned about such kinds of violations. Batumi District # 79 Election Commission cannot clarify why the same people were appointed as chairperson of the election commissions who were previously warned for election violations. Young Lawyers Association claims that by appointing them to these kinds of positions that the SEC has violated the Georgian election code.