Later Opened Polling Stations, Violation of Ballot Privacy and Other Violations

On October 1, observers of the Human Rights Center observed several significant violations; below we list part of those violations.

Human Rights Center’s observer in Tianeti Giorgi Ioramashvili reported that Polling Station # 9 in Tianeti DEC # 19 was opened one hour later. The reason of the delay might be several commission members who were late at the polling station. In accordance to the Election Code of Georgia polling procedures shall start at exactly 8:00 am in every PS.

Extremely high number of voters gathered at the PS # 3 in Mtskheta DEC #27 and chaos was predictable in the PS. PEC chairman responded to the problem only after the HRC observer complained about it; as a result the flow of voters was regulated.

Violations in Gardabani – privacy of polling process was breached in PS # 49 in Gardabani DEC # 21. Absolute majority of voters vote publicly and in groups; namely, voters entered cabins together with other people claiming they cannot see properly or cannot read in Georgian. Leaving booths they showed ballot papers to other people standing in the PS and breached privacy of their choice. Despite many verbal and written complaints of the HRC observer, the violation is still observed. Those ballot papers were not annulled either.

According to ICK, two dead people were found on the voters’ list in PS # 15 in Kvareli. Besides that, insufficient ballot papers was delivered to the PS. HRC observer states that a complaint of insufficient number of ballot papers was already written in PS # 15 in Kvareli because there are only 350 ballot papers while 404 voters were registered in the voters’ list and 9 more voters were registered in special lists. Chairperson of the PEC # 15 Zurkanaia Kakhitaeva said his uncle Magamed Kakhitaev was on the list but he died three months ago; another registered voter Amena Aliev was also dead.

Human Rights Center’s observer in Lanchkhuti Nino Mshvidobadze reported that several voters were wearing UNM shirts and they took off clothes only after TV-channels recorded them. UNM observers and pro-governmental NGOs were sitting at ballot boxes and controlled boxes and envelopes. They actively communicated with voters.

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