NGOs Assess Vani, Khoni By-Elections

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association (GYLA) and International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) assessed the April 28 by-elections in western Georgia’s Vani and Khoni municipalities as "mainly calm."

Based on the information received from ISFED observers, the voting process, closing of polling stations, counting and tabulation, proceeded in a "generally calm environment without significant violations." In some precincts, however, procedural violations were observed. 

According to the NGOs, the April 28 by-elections outlined a trend of high percentage of voters in addition to mobile ballot box lists which in the majority of polling stations equaled or exceeded the 3% threshold set by the Election Code. The Election Code states that if the number of voters in the mobile ballot box list of a precinct exceeds 3% of the total number of voters in the voter list, the decision on including a voter in the mobile ballot box list of a polling station is made by the relevant District Election Commission (DEC).

“Decision 53 Vani District Election Commission lacks sufficient substantiation on inclusion of additional voters in the mobile ballot box lists. This casts doubts on the appropriateness of including voters in mobile ballot box lists. High percentage of voters in the mobile ballot box lists of the polling stations could bear a potential risk of electoral manipulation,” ISFED stated.

In total, the organization filed four complaints at the DEC and five entries were made in precinct record books. Also, ISFED observers revealed six violations.

The GYLA, expressed the same doubts about including an additional 300 voters into the mobile ballot box lists in 25 out of 31 polling stations within Vani Electoral District, which is more than 3% of registered voters in the polling stations concerned. 

“This raises doubt about the mobilization of voters through the mobile ballot box,” the NGO concluded.

GYLA added that there were observed facts when some persons were taking down the names of voters who arrived at precincts.

“This represents indirect control over the expression of voter's free will, which is a problem,” the organization stressed.

The by-elections became necessary after the GD majoritarian MP of Vani and Khoni, Grigol Liluashvili, was appointed to the post of the Deputy Head of the State Security Service of Georgia.

Ruling Georgian Dream candidate Givi Chichinadze won the race with 57.86%, followed by Gigi Ugulava, opposition European Georgia candidate - 38.38% and Vasil Kopaliani, an initiative group candidate - 1.61% of votes.

By Thea Morrison

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