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By 13:30 pm

Human Rights Center (HRC) is monitoring the October 26, 2024 Parliamentary Elections in the regions of Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli and Shida Kartli. The HRC’s monitors will be deployed in the villages with ethnic minority population in Sagarejo, Gardabani and Marneuli municipalities and in the conflict-affected villages alongside the ABL in Gori municipality.  

By 13:00 pm, the head office of Human Rights Center received updated information from the observers deployed in the following areas: villages of Sagarejo municipality – Muganlo, Lambalo, Keshalo, Duzagrama; in Marneuli town and in the village of Marneuli municipality – Kizilajlo; in Gardabani town and in the villages of Gardabani – Vakhtangisi, Nazarlo, Kesalo, Agtaklia; in Gori – Chala settlement and in the ABL villages of the municipality – Ditsi and Adzvi. 

Human Rights Center is observing the October 26 Parliamentary Elections with the financial support of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. On the other hand, the international observers of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee also attend the parliamentary elections in Georgia; they have non-stop communication with the observation mission of the HRC. Former public defender of Georgia Ucha Nanuashvili is also member of the HRC monitoring mission; he together with the representatives of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee observe the elections in the villages of Marneuli municipality. 

By 13:00 pm, HRC observers lodged 6 complaints and made 7 notes in the logbook. 

In the polling stations of Marneuli and Gardabani municipalities, the HRC monitors observed several facts when voters took photos of bulletins in the election booths that is prohibited by the law. Based on the remarks of the HRC observers, the chairman of the election commission in the polling station in Gardabani asked the voters to delete the illegally taken photos. In the polling stations in Marneuli municipality the HRC observer lodged complaints about this violation. 

The monitors observed facts, when unauthorized people accompanied voters into the election booth and tried to influence their decision by dictating the election subject, they had to vote for. 

In the village of Duzagrama in Sagarejo municipality, because the mobile ballot box was damaged, the observer lodged a complaint and requested to annul the ballot papers dropped in the mobile box. 

Like during previous elections, gathering of coordinators and agitators of political parties in the vicinities of polling station and interference in the free will of the voters can be named as a main tendency during the October 26 Parliamentary Elections. Representatives of the Georgian Dream are particularly active in this regard. 

In accordance with the election code of Georgia, it is prohibited to physically hinder the movement of a voter appearing to the polls in the polling station or within 100 meters from the polling station, further, no gatherings and registration of voters are allowed on the polling day within 100 meters of the polling station.

The HRC monitors observed facts, when two persons entered the election booths together. In some polling stations, some unidentified papers were left in the booths, which were removed by the commission members after the HRC observer noted about it. 

On the Election Day, HRC monitors the polling process through static observers as well as through mobile groups. Throughout the day, 20 representatives of HRC will observe various stages and procedures of the elections: opening of the polling station, voting, vote counting, and completion of the summary protocols and so on.  

Before elections, Human Rights Center conducted training on the election procedures for the observers. After Elections, the HRC will publish the report based on the findings from the election monitoring. 

Throughout the day on October 26, Human Rights Center will proactively disseminate information about the election violations and tendencies observed in various polling stations. Also, the HRC Executive Director will hold two briefings on the Election Day – at 14:00 pm and 20:00 pm.