In Kakheti Members of the National Party Bribed Representatives of the Opposition

The Human Rights Center has received information that representatives of the government and the leading party, National Movement, bribed most of the election commission members in the Kakheti region. Those people were appointed by the opposition parties to the election commission. The leading party members have also bribed representatives of the presidential candidates.

The Human Rights Center has information about several concrete cases. More precisely, Ramaz Kerechashvili, the Gurjaani District governor and Ioseb Kardenakhishvili, the MP, (both are members of the leading party) with the support of policemen bribed among others the election commission members of the villages of Velistsikhe, Gurjaani, Vazisubani, Vachnadziani.

The opposition parties have not denied the information. They stated they have already applied to the local election commissions to replace the representatives of the presidential candidates. As for commission members, under the Election Code they cannot be canceled anymore.

According to the Center, in addition to bribing the opposition members, the commission members supporting the National Movement also threatened the opposition. Commission members of the opposition said in their conversation with the human rights defenders that they were threatened with detention, restriction of their freedom and their relatives would be fired from their jobs,. If they accepted the offer, the commission members of the opposition were promised to be involved in the Poverty Reduction State Program and would be granted allowances.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti