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Elections 2010 in Kakheti Region and Literature Styles: Drama, Epos, Lyrics

June 1, 2010
International observers were particularly satisfied with the work of the district and precinct election commissions during the municipal elections of May 30, 2010. They said, “The municipal elections were carried out without violations at high professional level. The observers of the Human Rights Center make different evaluations. They said “it was shameful elections which can be called anything but elections,” Elections and Drama – “they are getting on nerves of the commission members.”

The observers of the Human Rights Center, international and five more local observers monitored the election procedures in the polling station # 18 in Kabali village all day long. The local observers openly declared that they were hired by the “village council” to be at the PS.

By 2:00 pm the observer of the Human Rights Center Gela Mtivlishvili was writing a complaint on the attempt to drop extra ballot papers in the box.

When the chairman of the election commission at the PS # 18 Adalat Sardarov noticed it, he immediately approached the observer and hit his fist on the glass of the table and the glass smashed. Adalat Sardarov did not have any blood-stain on his hand. The observers of the international organization “American Center of the Labor International Solidarity” immediately took photos of the incident.

Despite this incident, the observers still continued to file complaints. In the afternoon, the commission members drew up a protocol on the observer and imposed a fine of 500 GEL over him. 12 commission members signed the protocol: “On May 30, 2010 at 3:40 pm commission members of the polling station # 18 in Lagodekhi election district # 15 drew up protocol on the observers Gela Mtivlishvili and Babulia Shaoshvili, who interfered in the activities of the commission members. They often enter the polling station shouting and annoy commission members.” (The complaint is written in poor Georgian language).

The observer of the Human Rights Center filed 16 complaints only at one polling station # 18 in Kabali village.

Elections and Epos – OSCE Observers and Thousand Small Things

Observers of several international organizations monitored elections in Kakheti region. Among them were representatives of the OSCE. In Kakheti region, the commission members called special nickname for the OSCE observers.

International observers did not visit the polling station # 25 in the village of Magharo in Sighnaghi district; it was one of the most interesting polling stations out of total 305 ones in the region. The library and culture house pulled down in the village; neither school works there. So, the election commission arranged the polling station in a shop where “thousand small things” were sold. They brought desks form the neighboring village and rugs from their houses. The observer of the Human Rights Center Madona Batiashvili took photos in the polling station # 25.

Observer Tako Khutsishvili witnessed a strange thing in the polling station # 33 in the village of Kardenakhi in Gurjaani district. One person entered the booth, then second and third followed him. When the observer asked why they breached the law, the commission members explained: “The first two people were blind and the third followed them to help.”

Elections and Lyrics – “Love” Ballot Papers

2010 elections were different from the previous ones because after a voter marked the ballot paper, s/he could make some additional notes in it and the election commission did not annul similar papers for that. Observer of the Human Rights Center in Kakheti region Ana Sheshaberidze remembered several lyric notes made in the ballot papers in the polling station # 32 of Kardenakhi village. On one ballot paper the voter did not mark any candidates but wrote with large letters: “I want to reconcile with my husband”. On the other ballot paper, the commission members found a note in Azerbaijan language: “I vote for everybody who will make my dreams come true.”

In the polling station # 39 in the village of Karajala, a certain Dato wrote a poem with threats to the observer of the Human Rights Center Shorena Latatia.

-I am resident of Karajala, an ordinary citizen…
-Illiterate people live here…
-Do you want me to write a complaint?
-And do you want police to take you out of here…
-If you do not behave properly…
-I warn you…
-It is Karajala here…
-You are a young girl; maybe single…
You can listen to the full text of the dialogue on the ww.ick.ge

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