PRESS SERVICE
"Public Movement Multinational Georgia"
82, Javakhishvili Str., Tbilisi, 0112, Georgia
Phone/Fax: +995 32 91 05 57;
Phone: +995 32 99 87 90
E-mail: pmmg@pmmg.org.ge; pmmg@caucasus.net;
Web:

08.01.08

The results of the monitoring of Extraordinary Presidential Elections on 5th
of January 2008 in the regions Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti

Public Movement `Multinational Georgia’ under support of the European
Commission Delegation to Georgia and Armenia, Cordaid Foundation and
International Foundation for Election Systems carried out monitoring of the
elections in the two regions with compact settlement of the ethnic
minorities.

200 local observers, individual and organized in the mobile groups, have
been functioning providing coverage of the 80% of precincts out of the total
585 PCs in the two regions. 13 district coordinators have been providing
monitoring at the level of DECs. More then 10 persons have been providing
media monitoring and analysis of the data received from the regions. Lawyers
of the project have been securing legal support of the complaint procedures
and support to the local teams of observers. Central office of the project
have been gathering information from the regions and disseminating data
about violations and situation on the Elections Day and afterwards, among
other means through the web-page

We present to your attention those trends and facts which have been fixed by
our observers at the precincts on Elections Day and during vote counting.
These facts require public response, as well as attention of the political
forces, mass media, international community and electoral administration.

We should state that facts identified by our long-term and short-term
observers are routed in the pre-election period, which was characterized by
aggressive confrontation of all political forces, which in turn has
influenced atmosphere of the Elections Day and effectiveness of the
electoral administration’s functioning.

Among the main trends of the pre-election period are:

– Active usage of the administrative resource and public funds
(dissemination of vouchers, food and other social assistance accompanied by
agitation);

– Pressure on voters and support groups of the opposition
candidates;

– Polarization of the media-space and pressure on mass media not
only at the nation al level, but on the regional also;

– Massive problems with correctness of the voter’s lists;

– Intentional formation of the public opinion with regard to the
cameras in the voters’ cabins, which threatened to the one of the main
principles of the electoral law – secrecy of vote;

– Facts of pressure on observers and NGOs.

We should state that elections took place; however there are numerous
violations and problems identified at PCs and DCs level.

On the Elections Day

– Absence of the checking of voters marking and regulation of
voters’ access to the precincts, which have been accompanied by attempts of
the repeated voting by the same persons (Bolnisi-23.1, Sadakhlo-22.32 and
22.29, Marneuli-22.64, Borjomi-36.6, Akhaltsikhe-37.30, Vale-37.10-9,
Akhalkalaki-40.22 and 40.4, Gardabani-21.2, 21-6, 21-56, 21-32)

– Visual and oral agitation in the premises for voting
(Akhalkalaki-40.3 and 40.17, Gardabani-21.33, 21.2, 21.6, Sadakhlo-22.32)

– Attempts to exclude observers from the precincts during voting
process and counting, as well as problems with receiving of the protocols by
observers, which was caused by both technical problems and low level of
qualification of commissions’ chairpersons (Gardabani-21.34, 21. 43, 21.15,
21.17, 21.16, Marneuli-22.5, Akhalkalaki-37.30);

– Nevertheless CEC following recommendations of the international
organizations took into account language problem of the ethnic minority
population and provided translation of the ballots and documentation into
national languages, ineffective dissemination of the translated documents
take place. Given fact caused problems for the voters with low level of
proficiency in this or that language and promoted violation of the vote
secrecy principal, as far as voters were asking for help other voters and
members of the commissions. E.g. such facts took place in Marneuli (PC 22.64
has not been provided with documentation in Azeri language) and in
Akhalkalaki (PC 40.17 – village Baraleti, where 30% of the population are
ethnic Georgians has been provided with ballots only in Armenian language).

– Violation of the secrecy of the vote by the representatives of the
Commission and activists of the national movement (Marneuli-22.32, 22.64,
Gardabani21.32, 21.6, Borjomi-36.25).

There are also outrageous violations of the electoral law:

– 22.32 (Sadakhlo, Marneuli district)

Chairperson of the PC, Bediyev Ismail, had several ID-cards of citizens and
openly voted on their behalf. Our observer submitted necessary complaint,
however Mr. Bediyev refused to sign and register complaint. Mentioned facts
took place during whole day with no regard to the fact that we managed to
mobilize international observers and also submitted complaints to Marneuli
DEC.

– 40.49 (village Gimbirda, Akhalkalaki district)

Voting box has not been stamped and voting was carried out this way until 2
p.m. Given fact caused doubts in possible throw-in of the ballots;

– On the territory of the Akhalkalaki DEC# 40 illegal conducts on
the side of the public officials have been observed, in particular MPs and
Chief of the Akhalkalaki Police, Mr. Samvel Petrosyan. We want to call upon
attention of CEC to the fact that Mr. Petrosyan was entering precincts with
possible aim of the influencing of the voting process. What is more he had
personal armaments with him which is gross violation of the electoral law.

Counting process

We have identified facts of the discrepancies, violations and mistakes
within counting process and filling in of the protocols, in particular
discrepancy between general number of the voters and sum of the votes
collected by all candidates, discrepancy between number of voters registered
in additional voters’ lists and number of the special envelopes in the box;
as well as number of the procedural mistakes, such as correction of the
mistakes in the protocol without special required remark, absence of the
date, blank back side of the protocol etcetera. Filling of the protocols on
the blank sheets of paper and sending of the blank signed protocols from PCs
to DEC for filling.

There are also protocols according to which number of the registered voters
is larger than allowed by electoral law. Given violations are registered on
the following PCs: Gardabani -21.3., 21.32, 21.38, 21.62; Akhalkalaki-40.28,
40.23, 40.21, 40.34, 40.01, 40.31, 40.41, 40.62, 40.4, 40.42, 40.38, 40.31,
40.61, 40.67, 40.55, 40.9, 40.17, 40.22, 40.25, Tsalka-25.01, 25.24, 25.25,
Marneuli-22.34, 22.53, 22.54, 22.56, 22.61, 22.62. There are also facts of
presence of the stranger individuals during voter counting, filling of the
unused ballots during voter counting, adding of the packs of ballots during
voter counting (e.g. Marneuli-22.32). Discrepancies in the protocols have
massive character.

There were delays in counting of the votes and issuing of the protocols by
DECs. Rustavi (#20) and Akhaltsikhe (#37) DECs have been closed until midday
of 6th of January.

In general more than 70 violations have been identified at more than 100
PCs. Response in accordance with acting legislation has been provided.

Nevertheless international community factually approved that elections in
Georgia took place in democratic way, scale of the violations should not be
left without attention and response, including legal, on the side of the
court system, CEC, international observers, civil society and voters. We are
deeply concerned about necessity of the permanent work in the field of the
voter’s civil and legal education and awareness raising, which appears to be
the most powerful instrument for ensuring of the fairness of elections and
protection of the individual voters’ will. We estimate that work in the
given sphere along with promotion of the confidence in the democratic
process should become main task of all political forces, civil and
international organizations prior to the forthcoming Parliamentary
Elections.

Public Movement `Multinational Georgia’ is ready to render to any interested
organization or individual all the documentation related to the
discrepancies and violations referred into the statement.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress