Girchi Offers Supporters Crypto-Currency in Exchange for Votes

Non-parliamentary Georgian opposition party Girchi (Cone) is offering crypto-currency to its supporters if they vote for the party candidate in the next elections.

The statement was made by the party leader, Zurab Japaridze, who said Girchi wants to introduce one candidate to parliament before the parliamentary elections of 2020 and is ready to offer the Mtatsminda District electorate electronic currency - the Georgian Dollar (GeD), created by them.

Japaridze explains that the crypto-currency can be used for two purposes:

1. Any citizen with accumulated Jet becomes an organic part of Girchi and will be able to take part in making significant political decisions, including the formation of the 2020 Parliamentary List.

2. Citizens who have Jet can use it for privatization of their property.

“All kinds of state property in the country, be it fields, meadows, forests or mountains, are the property of the Georgian citizens, which we will return to them,” Japaridze added.

For their vote, each citizen will get $50 equivalent GeD, which, according to the party, will be equivalent to $5,000 dollars in future.

Those who go dor-to-door to spread Girchi’s views will be given an equivalent of $900 -90 GeD by the party. Those who represent the party in the election commission will get $500 equivalent GeD, which, according to Japaridze, will be $50,000 in the future.

The party leader also claims that those who transfer to Mtatsminda district and vote there for Girchi will get $200 equivalent GeD, which will be $20,000 in the future.

“We today announce our willingness to distribute 100 million GeDs, our digital currency, to people who vote or engage in this process on our behalf,” Japaridze noted.

Parliamentary by-elections through a majoritarian election system will be held in N1 Mtatsminda election district on May 19. The elections became necessary after the district majoritarian MP, Salome Zurabishvili, became the first female president of Georgia in November 2018.

The same day, there will be City Council (Sakrebulo) by-elections in Sagarejo, Akhmeta, Adigeni, Zestafoni, Chiatura, Tkibuli, Tskaltubo and Ozurgeti municipality majoritarian election districts. The elections will be held in 26 election precincts in all eight municipalities.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) appointed Extraordinary Mayoral Elections in Marneuli, Zestafoni, Chiatura, Zugdidi and Khulo municipalities. They will be held in 362 election precincts.

Parliamentary by-elections, Sakrebulo by-elections, and Extraordinary Mayoral Elections will be held in 410 election precincts with the total number of voters at 401,750.

By Thea Morrison

Image source: RFE/RL