Reginfo.ge
Chairperson of the Telavi District Election Commission [DEC] Giorgi Kalmakhelidze lodged administrative complaint against Nikoloz Vardoshvili, Telavi mayor candidate from the Labor Party and requests to impose 500 GEL fine on him. Kalmakhelidze blames Vardoshvili in interference in the work of the DEC.
On September 7, 2017 Nikoloz Vardoshvili arrived in the office of the Telavi DEC together with several members of his political party and journalists. Vardoshvili told journalists that the DEC chairperson was aggressive towards him and did not respond his questions about technical issues related with the local self-government elections.
“It has concrete reasons. Before he was appointed to the position of the Telavi DEC, he worked in the office of the Telavi City Council, where I several times gave remarks to him (Vardoshvili is the Council member) because he did not implement his duties and we had conflict. Now he thinks it is his time to revenge. Today, I arrived at the DEC office and wanted to find out how I should mention Telavi in the application form for the registration of candidates after they annulled the status of self-governing city of Telavi – shall I write a city or self-governing community, or what? I came here to ask this question. The secretary and the commission members suggested me to go to the chairman. I went to his working room but he demanded me to leave the room; he did not answer my questions,” Vardoshvili said after what he went to Giorgi Kalmakhelidze’s working room together with journalists and demanded him to answer his question.
Telavi DEC chairperson did not answer the questions of the candidate either with the journalists and demanded him and the others to leave the building; he even called the police claiming that the people hindered the work of the commission. About 5 minutes later, Vardoshvili, his team-members and journalists voluntarily left the building. Kalmakhelidze confirmed in his interview with media that he had conflict with Vardoshvili while he worked at the City Council.
“There were several facts when he purposefully tried to discredit me, disseminated degrading information about me and convinced the society that I do not give him requested information. I do not issue consultations. Moreover, this person today tried to blackmail, threaten and slander me; he threatened me with holding a briefing, which will discredit me, unless I treat him properly,” Kalmakhelidze said.
Patrol police officers drew up a protocol and left the territory.
On September 8, the Telavi DEC chairperson lodged the administrative complaint against Nikoloz Vardoshvili. According to the complaint, “on September 7, Nikoloz Vardoshvili together with several citizens broke into his working room where the commission members had working meeting. With this action, Vardoshvili interfered in the work of the Commission and was expelled from the building.” Kalmakhelidze referred to the Article 911 of the Election Code, which deals with the interference in the functions and work of the election commission, and this action is punished by the fine of 500 GEL.
The video-recording from September 7 incident does not show that any person broke into either the DEC office or Kalmakhelidze’s working room and hindered anybody’s work. Just the opposite, Nikoloz Vardoshvili is knocking on the door to Kalmakhelidze’s working room and enters their without any noise. He asks him: “You left me without choice and I have arrived together with media to get answers to my questions.”
The commission members were asked what they meant in the interference of their work from the side of Vardoshvili and DEC lawyer Gulo Dilaveridze clarified to Reginfo: “Vardoshvili broke into the chairman’s room without permission. He was making noise, shouting and hindered our work.
-What do you mean by breaking into?
-It means when you enter the room without permission – you do not knock on the door and insult the chairman.
-How did he insult the chairman? What did he say, or do?
-You have the video and can watch it. The court will study the case and your interference is not necessary.”
Head of the Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association’s Telavi office Marekhi Mgaloblishvili, who is observer, said the video taken by the journalists does not confirm the allegation about Vardoshvili’s break-into the working room or his interference in the work of the commission.
“Telavi DEC is known for its negative and impartial attitude towards different election subjects and observers. They expelled our observers twice without any clarifications.
Independent candidates, who were going through the registration procedures, confirmed that they had also applied to the Commission for legal consultations and technical assistance but the commission members responded that they were not obliged to assist them; they were incorrect with the candidates. The Chairman is also rude with them.”
Marekhi Mgaloblishvili also spoke about the clarification part of the administrative complaint, which underlines that Nikoloz Vardoshvili broke into the DEC chairman’s working room together with strange people. “Those people were journalists of the central and local media sources.”
As for the particular article of the election code, which envisages 500 GEL fine for the persons, whom the Commission believes have hindered their work, Marekh Mgaloblishvili believes this article contains much more risks and may be actively misused against observers.
“It is a new addition to the Election Code. If the Commission concludes that any action hinders their work, they may lodge complaints against election subjects, observers and media representatives. It is very risky provision particularly for those, who observe the elections.”
Telavi District Court discusses the administrative complaint against Nikoloz Vardoshvili.
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