Election Watchdogs Report on District Election Commissions

The inclusion of political party members in District Election Commissions (DECs) made their activities more transparent, two local election observer organizations said in a joint statement on June 6.

Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) issued a report assessing the work of the District Election Commissions in 40 of the 75 election districts throughout the country.

“Unlike during the January 5 presidential election, DECs were mainly considering [electoral] complaints filed by both observer organization; although that was not the case in respect of complaints filed by other election stake-holders,” the report reads.

A total of 537 complaints have been filed by election stake-holders; 61 were given no consideration; 61 received positive rulings and 415 were dismissed, according to the report.

The report also notes that there have been several cases of physical assault on witnesses, who testified on electoral violations at court hearings. Its cites cases of violations at precinct number 48 in the Gori district and precinct number 2 in the Mtskheta district. 

Both GYLA and ISFED have yet to publish their conclusions on the overall electoral process.