• At a briefing, Natia Mezvrishvili, the Deputy Chairperson of the party “Gakharia for Georgia”, stated [1] that the Central Election Commission is not independent and is composed of individuals connected to the “Georgian Dream” in various ways. Mezvrishvili presented evidence [2] showing that party members and their relatives hold positions as election commission members at both precinct and district levels. For example, in Marneuli’s polling station 22.01, the Precinct Election Commission chairperson position is held by the head of the Marneuli City Assembly apparatus, while her son serves as a commission member appointed by Georgian Dream at the same polling station, and her daughter-in-law holds the commission secretary position also at the same polling station. Additionally, at the same precinct, the son of the Deputy Chairman of the Marneuli City Assembly serves as an election commission member. Besides close ties to the ruling party, the evidence showed that these commission members don't hesitate to openly engage in agitation in favor of the “Georgian Dream”.

Such political influence calls into question the commission’s ability to act impartially in the October 26 elections. The Election Code strictly prohibits election commission members at all levels from participating in election campaigning. It's even more alarming when the commission chairperson participates in the agitation, who should be appointed by the superior commission based on professional criteria. Moreover, the Code of Ethics for Officials of the Election Administration of Georgia requires all levels of officials to be politically neutral, requiring members to act independently and avoid conflicts of interest. Composition of commissions with individuals connected to political unions violates these principles. Maintaining political neutrality is a crucial prerequisite for ensuring fair and transparent elections.