TI Georgia Report on ‘Misuse of Administrative Resources in Parliamentary Elections 2024’
On October 21, the local watchdog Transparency International Georgia released its interim report on “Misuse of Administrative Resources in Parliamentary Elections 2024.” The monitoring was conducted from July 1 to October 15 with findings showing that the line between the ruling party and the state has effectively been erased, which is a “serious problem for the fairness of the election environment.”
Misuse of Legal Administrative Resources for Electoral Purposes
TI-Georgia outlines instances of misuse of legal administrative resources for electoral purposes in 2024:
- Adoption of the “Russian Law”: The watchdog notes that the government passed a controversial law on foreign influence despite protests and criticism from Western partners, which restricts freedoms of expression, association, and privacy, affecting electoral processes.
- Changes to the CEC Composition Rules: The organization stresses that the amendments allowed the ruling party to elect Central Election Commission members without opposition input, undermining electoral fairness and drawing criticism from international bodies like the OSCE/ODIHR.
- Abolition of Gender Quotas: The watchdog also mentions that the government removed gender quotas for parliamentary and local elections, overruling the President’s veto and expediting the legislative process.
- Expansion of the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s Powers: New powers given to the Anti-Corruption Bureau by the changes in the Organic Law “On Political Associations of Citizens” allows it to cancel party registrations and request sensitive information and confidential banking information, raising concerns about personal data privacy, banking laws, and constitutionality as noted in the report.
- Introduction of the Institute of “Delegates”: A new electoral rule replaced majoritarian deputies with “delegates” selected by parties, a move that the watchdog says alters electoral representation.
- Drawing Lots for Polling Station Functions: The CEC changed the timing of assigning duties to precinct commission members, reducing election-day transparency.
- Assignment of Zviad Kharazishvili: A U.S.-sanctioned and notorious police official known for violent crackdowns was assigned to lead election security groups -so -called Territorial Groups, raising concerns about potential voter intimidation.
- Problem of Election Legislation Stability: The government’s frequent amendments to election laws just before elections violate international standards, destabilizing the legislative framework.
Misuse of Executive Administrative Resources for Electoral Purposes
The watchdog also highlights instances of misuse of executive administrative resources for electoral purposes in 2024:
- Unlawful Decisions of “Independent Institutions”: TI-Georgia points to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Communications Commission (ComCom) for allegedly making decisions favoring the government and harassing civil society and media critical of the government.
- Illegal Decisions of the ACB: TI-Georgia was labeled by the ACB as having “declared electoral goals,” which disrupted their pre-election monitoring efforts. Although the decision was later revoked, it still affected the organization’s activities.
- Harassment of Critical Media by ComCom: TI-Georgia notes that ComCom heavily fined government-critical broadcasters for airing Euro-integration ads and refusing to air Georgian Dream campaign content, “that exploited the tragedy of Ukrainian people” or “which portrayed NGO representatives, including election monitoring organizations, in an unethical, unfair, and misleading context”
- Violence Against Opposition Parties: TI-Georgia reports that groups linked to the ruling party attacked opposition representatives, including members of the “National Movement,” “Coalition for Change,” and “Gakharia for Georgia.”
- Criminal Influence on Voter Will: TI-Georgia highlights ongoing voter manipulation, including threats, ID confiscation, vote-buying, and illegal promises, as documented in a 2022 study.
- Illegal Scheme for Collecting Public Servants’ Personal Data: TI-Georgia states that public officials were forced to collect personal data for the ruling party, ensuring their votes for Georgian Dream.
- Illegal Scheme for Collecting Personal Data in Adjara: TI-Georgia reveals, based on whistleblower information, that Georgian Dream processed sensitive personal data of tens of thousands of Adjara residents before the election.
- Smear Campaign Against Civil Society Activists: TI-Georgia reports an aggressive smear campaign against local civil society organizations, with defamatory posters and a website launched to vilify activists critical of the ruling party.
Misuse of Institutional Administrative Resources for Electoral Purposes
Transparency International Georgia highlights several instances of misuse of institutional administrative resources for electoral purposes in 2024:
- Participation of Ruling Party Candidates in Budgetary Events: TI-Georgia reports that “Georgian Dream” candidates participated in state-or locally funded events (e.g., infrastructure projects, award ceremonies) as part of their campaigning. These events blurred the line between the state and the ruling party, using public resources to promote parliamentary candidates.
- Mobilization of Public Servants in Ruling Party Pre-Election Gatherings: TI-Georgia points out that civil servants and employees of budget-funded organizations were mobilized to attend “Georgian Dream” pre-election meetings. This practice likely pressured public employees to participate in campaign activities against their will.
Misuse of Financial Administrative Resources for Electoral Purposes
TI Georgia points to the cases of the ruling party spending budgetary funds for electoral purposes. The watchdog names twelve large-scale socio-economic initiatives by the government and public institutions that appear to be electorally motivated. These initiatives, funded by state and municipal budgets, blur the line between the state and the “Georgian Dream,” giving the ruling party an unfair advantage. Examples include allocating GEL 250,000 to honor successful Georgians and GEL 20 million for local projects, as well as various social aid programs in Adjara.
Recommendations Provided by the Watchdog
In its report, Transparency International Georgia recommends that the government ensure the stability of the electoral code and avoid frequent amendments, especially within one year of an election, while also calling to incorporate the outstanding recommendations from the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission.
The watchdog stresses that any changes to the electoral code should be preceded by broad consultations with political parties, civil society and experts.
The organization also notes that law enforcement agencies must swiftly and impartially investigate any violence or pressure related to the electoral process and revoke unconstitutional powers granted to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) regarding party registration. The Central Election Commission (CEC) should avoid adopting laws that conflict with higher legal acts, and no sanctioned persons should be allowed to participate in the electoral process.
In addition, TI Georgia believes that the Communications Commission (ComCom) should stop harassing critical media and monitor political advertisements for hate speech. Law enforcement agencies should investigate allegations of election violations, refrain from mobilizing civil servants for ruling party events, and the government should avoid launching large-scale social programs close to the elections to maintain healthy competition among election participants.
TI-Georgia stresses that the relevant law enforcement agencies should conduct timely investigations into allegations of vote buying, confiscation of ID cards, illegal collection of voters’ personal data, other attempts to influence the will of the voters, interference with the parties’ normal election campaigns, in particular physical assaults, showdowns or other acts of violence against representatives of opposition parties.
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