Parliamentary Elections Held in Peace in Guria

Nino Mshvidobadze, Guria

Elections were conducted mostly in peaceful environment in Guria. Several violations on polling stations did not impact the election results. According to initial data released by CEC, Georgian Dream is leader both in proportional and majoritarian polls in every election districts in Guria.

Applications for the mobile ballot box in the Chaisubani polling station in Chokhatauri DEC # 62 were written by one person. As we were told, the person responsible for the voters’ applications was activist of the National Movement.

A list was detected in the car of Shukri Gabrichidze, head of supervision service at a polling station, in the Anasaueli PS in Ozurgeti. Gabrichidze said it was his friends’ list. Chairperson of the precinct election commission was his wife Maia Gotsiridze.

In Lanchkhuti, 1009 voters were registered in Gvimbalauri PS # 9. Mobile box was delivered to 37 of them. According to the request of the PEC chairman Malkhaz Imnadze 40 ballot papers were sent to the disabled people instead “definite number” of papers as it is required by the law. On that ground, a complaint was filed at the polling station. Big part of voters on the special list were people below poverty level who had received single aids from the local government short time before the elections or were under some oppression. They or their family members publicly declared that they were voting for the ruling party.

There was lack of envelopes in Gvimbalauri PS. Only 900 envelopes were delivered to the PS though 1009 voters were registered there. PEC chairman commented: if 1000 voters come, we will request more envelopes from the DEC. Head of youth affairs service at the district administration, who had observer’s status in the DEC, led an old voter into the cabin in Lanchkhuti PS # 2. Irma Mgeladze clarified: “She is my mother and I am helping her.”

Teachers of Shukhuti public school and public servants visited the HQ of the National Movement’s majoritarian candidate Giorgi Goguadze at 3:00 pm; the HQ was located next to the polling station in Shukhuti village. We detected chairman of the municipal board and head of Goguadze’s election HQ Revaz Chitidze there. We asked him why teachers and public servants were in their office and he said: “They are not public servants and teachers; they are our activists.”

Police fined a member of the Georgian Dream’s youth branch with 300 lari who was moving around by car. Soso Oragvelidze said he had not breached traffic rules and had his documents in order. “They said they had signaled and signed me to stop but I did not obey them. However, I did not hear any signals. They did not call me in the megaphone either; if they had, I would have heard and avoided 300 lari fine.”

Georgian Dream’s coordinators were oppressed in Guria. Police officers were calling them and blamed in accepting 250 lari from the Coalition and summoned them to interrogation on that ground for Tuesday.