Maka Malakmadze, Salome Labadze, Adjara
Two months have passed after Presidential elections of Georgia but Batumi streets have not been cleaned off the election posters of the presidential candidates. Moreover, in some places, one can see posters of past year elections too. Supervision department of Batumi City Hall, though term prescribed by the Election Code has expired, election subjects were not fined so far.
According to the Election Code of Georgia, the relevant election subject is obliged to remove agitation materials within 15 days after the final results of the election are officially published. Time calculation started from the 12th of November. Despite the fact that the time prescribed by law has passed, neither of the election subjects has taken measures to remove election posters.
Representatives of Human Rights Centre visited several central streets in Batumi (Chavchavadze, Tsereteli, Pushkin, Vaja-Pshavela and Z. Gorgiladze streets) and territory of the auto station. Everywhere, election agitation materials were put up on illumination posts and buildings.
Why requirements of the Election Code are breached and whether election subjects are fined according to the law. We applied to the Supervision department of Batumi City Hall for the answer. Head of the office Gocha Zneladze said: “we try to identify whereabouts of agitation materials. Our seven employees are working on it. Afterwards, we will send letter to relevant political parties to take the posters off. It will probably happen in 2014“.
Zneladze cannot answer why the Supervision department of Batumi City Hall has not fulfilled the obligation prescribed by election code.
Head of supervision department Gocha Zneladze cannot recall the poster of ,,United National Movement” during the local self-government election in 2010. The poster is still on the wall of the sewing factory - ,,Batumi Teksi” on Chavchavadze Street. „I have not seen the posters from the previous election and have not imposed anyone either”. It should be mentioned that Chavchavadze Street is one of the central streets in Batumi.
According to the statement of the head of GYLA Batumi office Gia Kartsivadze, the supervision department violates the law. “We find agitation materials from previous years too. The norm that obliges the supervision department to fine political subjects for not-fulfilling the law is not fulfilled. The head of the office should be put under the disciplinary obligation, which envisages the dismissal from the office.”
They themselves, explain the not-taking off the posters with the following reasons: ”Our youth organization removed some posters, but not all of them. It is true that we have not yet got used to taking off the posters. I am not against fining,” George Kirtadze from ,,United National Movement” said.
Lasha Sirabidze, „Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia”: „I cannot answer the question because Geiorgi Margvelashvili was the coalition candidate. In Ajara the coordinator on 2013 elections was Tamaz Turmanidze”.
In Ajara the coordinator on 2013 elections Tamaz Turmanidze”: „I don’t work in coalition any more. Please, contact the head office of the coalition.
The contact number 219 77 11 placed on the official web-site of the coalition “Georgian Dream” is temporarily unavailable. Thus, we could not contact them.
According to legislation, the election subject that will not take off the agitation material in prescribed time will initially be fined with 50 lari, and with 500 lari after warning.