Election Observers Watchful
Along with 500 international observers, over 6,500 local observers will monitor the March 28 parliamentary elections in Georgia. This amount significantly exceeds the number of those observers, who monitored the previous elections. The PVT was conducted for the fist time in Georgia during the November 2 disputed parliamentary elections and played a key role to revealed fact of manipulation of election results. The ISFED expects that the margin of error of PVT results would not exceed 1%.
These observers will act under the auspices of three organizations – the Fair Elections Foundation, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) and newly established election watchdog Movement New Generation – New Initiative. The Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) will also dispatch its observers to monitor elections.
Like the November 2 parliamentary elections, parallel vote tabulation (PVT) will still be conducted, while special emphasis will be put on the Adjara Autonomous Republic by the local election observer organizations.
“We think we should be very watchful and observe these elections closely by all means, as we do not expect an easy election process,” Tamar Zhvania of ISFED told Civil Georgia.
The ISFED will focus on conduct of parallel vote tabulation process to be implemented by ISFED. ISFED observers would count the votes cast on March 28 simultaneously with the officials of the precinct election commissions.
On the background of the tense situation between the Adjarian leadership and the central authorities, the election process in Adjara is under special attention of the observer organizations.
“Our organization will have over 1700 observers throughout Georgia. However, special emphasis will be made on Adjara. Our 275 observers will monitor the elections in Adjara,” Zaza Daraselia of the Fair Elections Foundation told Civil Georgia.
“Proceeding from the previous elections, the Kvemo Kartli region and the Adjara Autonomous Republic were the most difficult regions and of course, we will focus on them,” Tamar Zhvania of ISFED said. The organization will have 300 observers at 275 polling stations in Adjara.
The Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) decided to monitor elections only in 7 districts (over 290 observers), including the districts of Bolnisi, Marneuli, Gardabani, Rustavi (in Kvemo Kartli region), Ozurgeti and Batumi, capital of Adjarian Autonomy.
“However, our observation will basically be focused on the Batumi district,” Keti Khutsishvili of GYLA told Civil Georgia.
One more organization to monitor the parliamentary elections is the newly established Movement New Generation – New Initiative. This organization will have a 2000-member observation team.
The newly established organization has asked the political parties to sign a memorandum on mutual respect. However, this initiative has not been implemented yet.
“We wish each election bloc or party to sign a particular memorandum on mutual respect, in which the sides will pledge to avoid escalation of tension in case of unsatisfactory election results and to observe the constitution,” Koki Ionatamishvili of the new organization told Civil Georgia.
The OSCE International Election Observation Mission in Georgia noted after January 4 snap presidential elections, “less scrutiny by domestic observers in both the pre-election period and on election day.” March 28 elections give a chance the Georgian election watchdog organizations to improve performance.
