Georgia. Lawyer: thousands willing to observe Saturday's elections

IN Georgia parliamentary elections will be held, considered a referendum on the direction of the country's development. The electoral fight is between the pro-Russian ruling party Georgian Dream and the pro-European opposition. Polling stations will be open from: 8-18 Polish time. They are expected after the voting ends polls exit polland in the evening – the first results.

Over four thousand Georgian citizens volunteered to observe the voting process. After the selection of candidates, 1.5 thousand were selected. social observers.

– Our observers will be present at polling stations to observe the election and vote counting process. There will also be mobile groups moving around electoral districts and observers at the Central Electoral Commission, said Nino Lomjaria, former ombudsman for civil rights in Georgia.

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– We receive a lot of information from various regions of Georgia about a very problematic phenomenon: representatives of local authorities or the police forcibly collect voters' personal data or take away identity cards. If someone does not have their ID with them, they will not be able to vote, she said.

According to her, in this way, the ruling Georgian Dream may be preparing for “manipulation in which someone will use other people's ID cards when voting.”

It is also possible that evidence is taken away from people who are suspected of not voting for the ruling party. – This is an interference in their right to vote – emphasized Lomjarya, who was Georgia's ombudsman in 2017-22. – That's why we have to be very careful and mobilized – she added.

The expert explained that for the first time in Georgia, up to 90 percent votes will be counted electronically. At the end of the election, the devices will print preliminary voting results. The votes will also be counted manually and the final results will be presented on this basis.

The lawyer admitted that non-governmental organizations involved in election observation experienced “unprecedented pressure” during the campaign, a campaign of disinformation and hate propaganda from the ruling group, which accused the leaders of these movements of being agents of foreign influence and traitors.

The pre-election campaign was also characterized by widespread abuse of administrative funds, intimidation and pressure on voters. There were also physical attacks on opposition representatives, Lomjaria said.

Representatives of the ruling party did not appear in media critical of them, and pro-government media did not host the opposition. There were no pre-election debates, even in the public media.

– There is very high mobilization among voters. I expect an unprecedentedly high turnout, including at polling stations abroad, she added. The largest number of people in history registered to vote abroad.

Young voters are also extremely motivated and this is something new in the Georgian political reality.

– Probably for the first time, young people are the most motivated voters. For them, it is a choice between a European future and remaining under Russian influence, she continued.

Many people are also motivated by dissatisfaction with the so-called the Act on Foreign Agents, adopted by the government despite mass protests.

For many Georgians, Saturday's elections are a referendum. – We realize that we do not simply vote for political parties, but we make decisions about the future of Georgia, concluded Lomjarya.