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“Chamber of Control Tries to Hinder Georgian Dream’s Election Campaign”

June 7, 2012

News Agency “Pirveli”

Representatives of the Georgian Dream Tina Khidasheli and Maia Panjikidze said the Constitutional Security Department, Chamber of Control and TV-Company Rustavi 2 implemented purposeful provocations against Georgian Dream.

Khidasheli and Panjikidze made similar evaluation about the statement of the Chamber of Control released on June 6. Namely, financial monitoring service of political parties at the Chamber of Control accused Political Coalition Georgian Dream of the attempted bribery of voters and appealed to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office to investigate facts. Based on the petition of the Chamber of Control, Imereti Regional Prosecutor’s Office has already started investigation on the alleged facts of bribing citizens by the Georgian Dream.

Monitoring service of the CoC called upon the prosecutor’s office to get interested in the alleged bribery of voters by the Georgian Dream. “On June 5, 2012 media outlets reported that in the framework of pre-election campaign Georgian Dream was distributing booklets and offered citizens to write their requirements in exchange of the Georgian Dream’s support; the representatives of the Coalition promised citizens to realize their requirements. Financial Monitoring Service of the Chamber of Control believes this fact contained the signs of bribing voters punished under Article 161(1) of the Criminal Code of Georgia that is direct or indirect transfer of money and/or other property for political reasons. So, the Financial Monitoring Service of the CoC appeals to the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia to get interested in the fact and to study and respond to it within its competence,’ the statement of the CoC reads.

Tina Khidasheli and Maia Panjikidze said on June 5 Rustavi 2 aired a news-story which claimed that Georgian Dream was offering citizens to purchase household equipment up to 1000 GEL before the elections.

Coalition representatives clarified that “young people, who pretend themselves to be members of the Georgian Dream and make similar promises to people, are not members of the political party Georgian Dream.”

“A lot of young people have joined our public movement Georgian Dream since the very first day of its establishment and I do not exclude possibility that the government is using them against us through blackmailing or intimidation. We really promise our people to realize their dreams but not by making presents for them before the elections; we promise them to realize their dreams by establishment of justice, defeating poverty and employment in the country only after the victory in the elections. We condemn everybody’s activities who tries to mislead population and misinterprets the conception of the Georgian Dream. I suggest our citizens not to believe rumors spread by the government,” Panjikidze said.

Tina Khidasheli suggested the Chamber of Control to get interested in the activities of high-ranking officials of the government who arrive at the party meetings by cars, which are purchased by state funds.

“I wonder is not it violation?! Unfortunately, state institutions officially participate in the repression,” Khidasheli said.

She added that law enforcement officers can detain those people who give similar promises to people when distributing fliers.

According to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, investigation was launched on the attempted fact of bribing voters by the political party Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia.
The statement of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia reads: On June 5, 2010, Prosecutors' Office of Georgia learned from the media that representatives of a political coalition Georgian Dream distributed flyers and application forms promising gifts of significant value to voters in Kutaisi. As the elements of crime of vote-buying are visible, the investigation was launched at the Imereti Main Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In line with the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia, the investigation is supervised by the Prosecutors' Office. Freedom of expression and the right to political activity are guaranteed by Georgian legislation. The investigation aims at avoiding criminalization of electoral processes and ensuring respect of the rights of individuals and political parties.”

Chairwoman of the Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia Manana Kobakhidze said “people were offered to write their dreams on the bulletins only to receive information about real needs of population.”

“Chamber of Control has spread absurd information. If they meant the bulletins where we asked people to write their Georgian dreams on, it was simple polls of the population. We wondered about real problems of the population. Our purpose was to receive information what kind of reforms they wish to see in the field of education, economics and social welfare; after we come in power we will foresee their requirements. It was not bribery of population,” Manana Kobakhidze said and added that Georgian Dream is ready to answer any question.

As for possibility of launching investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office, Manana Kobakhidze said “the Chamber of Control tries to hinder election campaign of the Georgian Dream.”

“Let the Chamber of Control declare that only National Movement has right to lead pre-election campaign in this country. Let them openly declare that there is autocrat regime in the country which should finish. If they admit it, this process will end timely,” Kobakhidze said.

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