Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) has deployed 250 observers to monitor the October 21 local self-government elections. Our static observers cover 200 precincts throughout Tbilisi. In addition, 16 mobile groups are mobilized to observe the elections.
20:52 - Envelopes were being opened in the 76th precinct of the Saburtalo electoral district when one of them turned out to have two majoritarian list ballot papers. In spite of this, the commission did not consider the case and simply mixed up those two ballot papers with the rest of the ballot papers. TI Georgia has filed a complain
20:00 - According to our observers, voting process is over and the polling stations are closed.
17:00 - In the 6th precinct of the Nadzaladevi district, two persons were simultaneously voting in the polling booth. This is a violation of secrecy of ballot. We have filed a complaint.
16:25 - In the 58th precinct of the Saburtalo district, our complaint related to the control of voter lists was registered in spite of initially being declined. Nevertheless, the complaint was not discussed, which is a violation of the law.
16:20 - Our observers also encountered problems at two precincts: 60th precinct of Samgori district and 42nd precinct of Isani district. Our observers were denied clarification, which is required by law, about the basis for refusal to register the complaints. This problem was resolved only after our lawyers got involved in the matter.
16:10 - Our observers have been unable to file in complaints due to interference from the precinct commission secretaries in 12 precincts of 6 districts: 76th, 73rd, 27th, 13th precincts of the Gldani electoral district, 11th, 27th precincts of the Nadzaladevi electoral district, 40th, 49th precincts of the Saburtalo electoral district, 42nd, 64th precincts of the Isani electoral district, 36th precinct of the Samgori electoral district, 23rd precinct of the electoral district. In spite of the fact that the commission secretaries are obliged to register complaints when they are duly filed in, they refused to do so. They agreed to register the complaints only after our lawyers got in touch with them and explained their duties.
14:30 - At the 5th precinct of the Chugureti electoral district, our mobile group coordinator, Mamuka Andguladze, was about to write a complaint when the commission chairperson forced him out of the precinct.
12:37 - The commission at the 10th electoral precinct of the 10th Gldani district allowed a person with traces of ink on hand to vote. Our observer has filed a complaint on this matter.
12:00 - A representative, allegedly from the Georgian Dream, verbally insulted and physically threatened our observer outside the territory of the 64th precinct of the 6th Samgori district.
11:58 - Our static observer sent us an audio recording that captures a conversation of Ketevan Kopadze, the chairperson of the 21st precinct of Saburtalo’s 3rd electoral district. The audio recording captures Kopadze saying that she had contacted the Georgian Dream, namely L. Japaridze, who told her that it was acceptable for unique voter numbers to be recorded as long as the identification number wasn’t recorded.
11:55 - In the 19th precinct of the Mtatsminda electoral district, a representative of the Georgian Dream is recording voter numbers
10:05 - In the 3rd precinct of the Gldani electoral district, a representative of the Leftist Alliance is recording the identities of voters
Nearly in all precincts of electoral districts in Tbilisi, observers are standing near the registrators and looking over their shoulders in an effort to identify present voters from the list. Most active in this regard are representatives of the Georgian Dream and Leftist Alliance.
08:27 - In Krtsanisi electoral district, precinct 24, the control sheet was filled in by a voter that wasn’t registered at that precinct. Due to this violation, our static observer has filed a complaint.
07:49 - In Didube electoral district, precinct 1, a commission member was appointed to the duty of registering voters without participating in the casting of lots. Our static observer has filed a complaint.
Voting is actively underway at Gldani’s district 73rd precinct
