At 18:00 GYLA continues observing the Election Day processes.  The elections are mostly held in a calm environment and no significant violations have occurred. 

 

 

We received an information that at the precinct #42 of the Zugdidi District, the village trustee had kept the electoral ballots. GYLA observer verified the information and revealed that at the mentioned precinct the commission member – Irakli Kerzaia has found a few hundreds of the envelopes that were wrapped in a black package and that were discovered near the hall of the public school, in which the polling station is located. There is an assumption that the envelopes might belong to the previous elections. The follow-up verification of the information is ongoing. 

 

 

At the precinct #27 of the Khulo District, the voting was conducted without the inking. GYLA observer – Jaba Ananidze (the journalist of the TV 25) submitted the complaint on this fact to the Precinct Election Commissions, which caused the agression of the commission chairperson and its members towards the observer. The observer was verbally assaulted, there was a possibility of physical assault. For this reason, GYLA observer had to leave the polling station. GYLA observer submitted the complaint to the District Election Commission. 

 

 

At the precinct #17 of the Kaspi District the complaint of the GYLA observer was not registered. The observer was not given the possibility to see the act of delivery-receipt and was told that such an act did not exist. 

 

 

At the precinct #114 of the Samgori District (special precinct), the representative of the NGO “Eurasian Institute of Conflict Analysis and Management” – Nana Minasiani has interfered in the operation of the electoral administration and tried to provoke the tension. In addition, the observer claims that her observation right is being hindered on the ethnic grounds. 

 

 

In some of the districts, at the territory, adjacent to the polling stations, the persons are standing and counting the arriving voters, which represents an indirect impact on the voter’ will. Such facts have occurred in a number of precincts (precincts # 3, 30, 23, 59, 80 and 36  and precinct # 56, 57 and 59 of the Saburtalo district). 

 

 

The candidates themselves are being present and are observing the electoral process at the polling stations. We consider that those cases represent the conflict of interests, which represents a violation. At the precincts #1 and #30 of the Sighnaghi District the candidates themselves are present as the representatives of the electoral subjects. Similar cases were identified in Gori and in Saburtalo Districts (8 cases).  

 

 

At the precinct #26 of the Marneuli District the voter campaigned in favor of the “Georgian Dream”. GYLA observer has filed a complaint in relation to this case. 

 

 

At the precinct #27 of the Rustavi District, the chairperson of the Precinct Election Commission gave the voter two (2) ballots for taking home, after it has been revealed that the voter has only placed one (1) ballot into the envelope and dropped that envelope into the ballot box. GYLA observer submitted the complaint on this fact.  

 

The Precinct Election Commission members of the precinct #2 of the Mtatsminda District  have arbitrarily exchanged the assigned functions (that were initially assigned under the casting of lots) throughout the day. GYLA observer submitted the complaint on this fact. 

 

Up to this moment GYLA observers submitted 71 complaints and wrote 77 remarks in the logbooks. 

 

From the date of its establishment in 1994, GYLA actively observes the elections of legislative, executive and local self-government bodies and works to support conducting the elections in a calm, fair environment and to support a steadfast protection of the legislation of Georgia during the electoral processes. 

 

Today, on June 15, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association conducts the observation of the Local Elections in Tbilisi and in 40 districts of 10 regions of Georgia through up to 500 observers.    

 

Static observers are designated to 400 polling stations thoughout Georgia. Mobile groups drive around in  40 districts. GYLA conducts observation at the precincts, created in the special cases, at the precincts, where minorities reside and at the precincts, identified to be problematic during the previous elections. 

 

It is notable that the hotline operates on the election day, which gives both citizens and journalists a possibility to receive legal consultations on the voting procedures. 

 

The hotline number is: 218-26-11

 

The hotline operates on the election day for the journalists and media organizations. The journalists and media organizations have a possibility to receive information and legal consultation on the election procedures, election day violations and ways to respond to them; journalists and media organizations also have a possibility to provide us with the information on the violations that they discovered. 

 

The hotline number is: 230-61- 63  

 

In addition, for receiving the comprehensive information on the election day violations, please visit www.electionsportal.ge, where you can submit an information on the violation that you identified – through filing an online form or sending a free SMS to the number 90039. 

 

GYLA will conduct one more press-conference regarding the election day observation process (venue: NGO Media Center, address: Chavchavadze Avenue #23). 

 

The following press-conference will be conducted at 21:00. In addition, GYLA will conduct a press-conference at 12:00 on June 16.  

 

GYLA Local Self-Government Election and Post-Election Observation Mission was made possible with the support of the American people through funding of the “United States Agency for International Development” (USAID). The opinions expressed in the statement belong to the „Georgian Young Lawyers‘ Association“ and may not represent those of the USAID or the Government of the United States.