One more new tendency was observed during the pre-election period of the 2010 municipal elections. Numbers of the polling stations are printed on the background of the Georgian state flag on the signboards. Lawyers said it is violation of the rules on the usage of the state flag. Chairman of the Ozurgeti election district # 60 Zviad Teneishvili said that the signboards were sent by the Central Election Commission and they gave them to the chairpersons of the polling stations.
“The signboard with the background of the Georgian State Flag is hung on the façade of the building where the polling station is located; the complete title of the PS is written on the signboard. This fact violates the rulea on the usage of the Georgian state flag that envisages liability under the Georgian law (Organic Law on “State Flag of Georgia, Article 5.3)”, said lawyer Irakli Papava.
Papava said that despite existence of similar article in the Organic Law, unfortunately, the law does not envisage any administrative liability for the violation of the “rules” on the use of the state flag.
“Generally, association of a company or a product with concrete color is very profitable. For example, in Georgia, the governmental team, the ruling party - National Movement is associated with the white-red color and the Georgian state flag. Consequently, when a name of the concrete PS is written on the signboard with the background of the Georgian state flag, for the society the background is associated with the National Movement. We can directly declare that it influences the decision of the voters. Similar action is illegal in accordance to the Article 8 Part II of the Election Code of Georgia,” said Papava.
“The signboard with the background of the Georgian State Flag is hung on the façade of the building where the polling station is located; the complete title of the PS is written on the signboard. This fact violates the rulea on the usage of the Georgian state flag that envisages liability under the Georgian law (Organic Law on “State Flag of Georgia, Article 5.3)”, said lawyer Irakli Papava.
Papava said that despite existence of similar article in the Organic Law, unfortunately, the law does not envisage any administrative liability for the violation of the “rules” on the use of the state flag.
“Generally, association of a company or a product with concrete color is very profitable. For example, in Georgia, the governmental team, the ruling party - National Movement is associated with the white-red color and the Georgian state flag. Consequently, when a name of the concrete PS is written on the signboard with the background of the Georgian state flag, for the society the background is associated with the National Movement. We can directly declare that it influences the decision of the voters. Similar action is illegal in accordance to the Article 8 Part II of the Election Code of Georgia,” said Papava.
Shorena Ghlonti, Guria
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