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Free Canteen to Bribe Voters of the National Movement

February 24, 2012

Manana Kveliashvili, Information Center of Mtskheta-Mtianeti

There is a notice on the wall of Dusheti district free canteen which notifies to beneficiaries that in case of requests and complaints they can call hotline of the “National Movement.”

“Since beneficiaries can call the hotline of the ruling party in case of complaints, it means the United National Movement organizes or supervises the free canteen. So, the political party provides the population with service or with other material assistance that is prohibited by the amendments introduced to the law in December of 2011,” Lawyer of the Transparency International-Georgia Irine Urushadze told the ICMM.

She added that in accordance to the Article 164' of the Criminal Code of Georgia, if a person (in this particular case the political party) gives a property or provides free service for its political purposes, breaches the criminal law. “We assume, the political party is implementing activities, which are punished under the Criminal Code of Georgia,” Urushadze said.

Dusheti district free canteen has 90 beneficiaries. 65 000 GEL was allocated for the Dusheti district budget for the purpose in 2012. The director Gocha Topuria said the menu and the budget of the canteen were proved by the Dusheti district administration.

“Since the canteen receives funds from the state budget, if the political party uses the canteen with its political purposes, it will be illegal usage of administrative resources. The state funds are wasted and the United National Movement receives political benefit from it without spending one tetri from its budget. The only term for the description of similar activities is usage of administrative resources,” Urushadze said.

ICMM will continue working on this issue.

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