Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

Authority Is Blamed for Persecuting the Opponents

December 14, 2007
“District governor persecutes the members of the district electoral commissions. They are invited to the Administrative Board and demanded to work against opposition;” “Members who represent the United Opposition in Electoral Districts, have their holidays canceled; they are called back to the offices and are prevented from working in support of their candidates;” “Several electoral districts were closed for uncertain reasons. Voters cannot check their names in the electors’ lists,” similar statements are made by the representatives of the opposition political parties and NGOs who monitor pre-election campaign.

Zviad Kviralashvili, representative of the United Opposition blames local authority for persecuting their supporters. He said that Ketevan Paposhvili, commission member of the Kalauri Electoral District in Gurjaani Electoral County # 12, had her vacation cancelled after the local authority learned she supported the United Opposition. She was demanded to support presidential candidate of the United National Movement.

“Paposhvili was called at the Gurjaani Municipality Administration to meet district governor. The latter demanded her to stop her activities in favor of the United Opposition; otherwise they threatened her with reduction,” said Kviralashvili who added that many other people, who support the opposition, cope with similar problems. “Several days before Levan Gachechiladze, presidential candidate of the United Opposition, visited Kakheti Region, our representatives were informing people about the date and place of his visit. In the village of Shashiani patrol policemen detained out representatives. Law enforcers demanded them to stop providing people with information but soon let them free. Because of the situation we could not inform people properly,” said Zviad Kviralashvili.

Governor and some other public officials were oppressing the opposition supporters. Another oppositionist, representative of the “New Rights”, Zurab Kandelaki confirmed the situation. “In the village of Chumlaki, Ekaterine Shushaberidze, election commission member, was also suppressed. She was forced to submit resignation. Similar violations can be witnessed in almost every election commission throughout Kakheti Region. We are trying to make similar violations public and demand to react on it; though in vain,” said Zurab Kandelaki.

NGOs are observing the pre-election campaign very actively and they have some information about violations.

Representatives of the “Human Rights Center” state that electors from Kvareli District informed them that some electoral districts are closed. “Our representatives checked the information by arriving at the place during working hours. Several electoral centers, for example in the village of Akhalsofeli, were really closed. Voters could not check their names on the list. Nani Kevkhishvili, Akhalsofeli election commission member, stated in her conversation with the center that she had come to the office in the morning and found it closed. The reason was mess inside the office; but it cannot excuse the violators of the legislation,” said lawyer Lia Khuroshvili.

According to locals the electoral district was closed based on the orders of the representative of the Kakheti Regional Administration and Kvareli District Governor since the polls carried out by the activists of the “United National Movement” revealed that Akhlasofeli residents do not support Mikheil Saakashvili.

Lela Taliuri, the head of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association’s Kakheti office focuses her attention on the facts of human rights violation during pre-election campaign.

“During Ssakashvili’s visit in Telavi, on December 10, Telavi public schools were ordered to meet the presidential candidate. The children informed us about it though we would rather keep their names anonymous. Lessons were canceled at schools regarding the fact. We know that they made specials lists of those pupils who attended the meeting. The organizers were eager to take as many people to the meeting as possible.”

As for representatives of the United Opposition and their presidential candidate, they were not allowed into the Telavi State Theatre because of on-going repair works in it. However, a day before, Mikheil Saakashvili met people at the State Theatre and had not encountered any problems because of repair-works,” said Taliuri.

Representatives of the leading party state the accusations against them are groundless. Badur Guliashvili, deputy Regional Governor, stated that the opposition tries to increase their rating by making similar groundless and loud statements. “Nobody is harassed. Their complaints are groundless. Nobody has raided the offices of any political parties; neither anyone was kidnapped. There are not violations at electoral districts,” said Guliashvili.

Levan Bezhashvili, the Chairman of the Legal Committee of the Georgian Parliament, stated that the accusations on not allowing Gachechiladze into the Telavi State Theatre aims to tense the situation during pre-election campaign. Bezhashvili is the head of the Saakashvili’s Electoral Staff in Kakheti Region. 
 
“We investigated all incidents and discovered that our opponents made completely groundless accusations against us. We have the statement of Neli Tskitishvili, the head of the regional branch of the political union “Tavisufleba” where she demanded the Telavi Electoral County to give a space to their union in the Telavi Culture House. The chairman of the electoral commission satisfied the request; consequently they had chance to meet voters. But, finally they did not like the Telavi Culture House and decided to hold a meeting in the street. It is not a problem unlike those groundless accusations they aim to tense the situation during pre-election campaign,” said Bezhashvili.

Representatives of the NGOs suppose the situation will get tenser in the nearest future.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti


News