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,,War of Complaints” in Samtskhe-Javakheti Region

January 17, 2008
According to opposition parties Presidential Elections on January 5 2008 did not pass without falsification in Akhalcikhe Election Precinct # 37. Discussion of complaints was strained enough during regional commission sitting.

Two questions were to be discussed according to the agenda of the 9th meeting of Precinct Election Commission # 37 on January 9. Those questions were: discussion of complaints filed to the PEC on violations observed during the polling process and confirmation of election results in the region. All four members of the PEC confirmed the election results.

Nino Akhobadze, the fifth eligible member of the PEC, was at the Central Election Commission in Tbilisi, and could not attend the meeting.

"It is not disaster," stated Beka Buckhrikidze, the chairman of the PEC # 37 on January 5. Despite of numerous complaints he has the same position. "There is nothing serious,” he claimed. 

Nineteen complaints were filed to the PEC from Gachechiladze Election HQ. Seven of them were drawn at the polling station # 3. There were different types of violations: voting instead of other people; pushing false ballot papers; over-phone threats of commission members from opposition parties; distribution of  responsibilities among commission members without polls; cutting of electricity supply to add false envelopes in the darkness; kidnapping of election boxes by police and members of National Movement; protocols of  accepting and delivering the documents was not drawn up on the place; chairperson of the commission covered the violations; not registering a voter in the registration book; inaccuracy in enclosed lists, etc.

Seven out of twenty complaints were not accepted for discussion. (The only complaint received from Badri Patarkacisvili’s Election HQ contained neither the number of polling station nor the chairperson of the commission). Mari Chilingarishvili, the lawyer for the PEC, stated at the beginning of the meeting. “We will not discuss part of complaints because they were drawn up through violation of the procedural norms. The complaints are not drawn up in accordance to Articles 61 and 62 of the Georgian Election Code-they do not provide necessary details.”

The discussion turned into a loud argument. Commission members often mentioned: “There were violations, we agree with you but what shall we do?”

Nevertheless with the initiative of Ketevan Mishvelidze, the commission member, the discussion started by polls to decide whether to declare the election results from the polling station # 3 invalid or not.

“We have received many complaints from the polling station #3. We wanted to declare the results invalid; but the head of Levan Gachechiladze’s Election HQ did not agree with us. We cannot take other measures. The PEC is not a punishment institution to discuss criminal liability of commission chairperson,” said Mishvelidze.

“We polled but it did not end with positive result,” said Mari Chilingarishvili.

Oleg Sandroshvili, the chairperson of the Conservative Party’s Akhaltsikhe Office and the head of Levan Gachechiladze’s Election HQ was not satisfied with the fact that none of complaints from polling stations were signed by commission chairpersons and he thinks it is an attempt to conceal a crime.

“Why criminal prosecution has not been launched against commission chairpersons?” he asked.

“If there were minor violations, they were eradicated on the place and it was not necessary to file a complaint about it,” the lawyer replied to his question.

However, Oleg Sandroshvili is not satisfied with the results of the complaints’ registration at the PEC. He said that commission does not react on the violations even though they are proved. “They simply read the complaints at the meeting without discussion. The PEC is tendentious and supported to the district commission chairpersons and the commission members from the National Movement. We will appeal to the court and will demand to abolish the results of election results.”

“If somebody is not satisfied with the results of the discussion, s/he can appeal to the court,” said Ketevan Mishvelidze.

The number of valid ballot papers in the Akhlatsikhe Election Precinct is 26 369; 21 870 out of which went in support of the presidential candidate Mikheil Saakashvili and made 81, 3 % of total votes. Levan Gachechiladze received 2, 832 votes that are 10, 52 %. The rest of the presidential candidate come in the list in the following order Arkadi Patarkatsishvili, Shalva Natelashvili, Davit Gamkrelidze, Giorgi Maisashvili and Irina Sarishvili.

Gulo Kokhodze, Akhaltsikhe


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