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In general, the election environment is calm. However, a number of grave violations was identified as well. Following dissemination of information about the violation at the precinct #32 of the Zugdidi District, GYLA mobile group observer visited the above polling station. According to the information available to us, approximately at 10:00, Tsinara Abuladze, whose son – Gogita Abuladze went missing two years ago and their relatives arrived at the precinct #32 of the Zugdidi District. Tsinara Abuladze requested to conduct investigation on the case of her son. According to the information available to GYLA observer, the voting process is suspended, because the voting booths are crashed, the ballots are dropped out from the box and scattered around the polling station.

It should be noted that in the 2012 pre-election environment evaluation report, GYLA mentioned that 75-year old Tsinara Abuladze was beaten by the police with a stick on June 16, 2012, which is confirmed by the neighbors in writing.

The grave violation was identified at the precinct #25 of the Kaspi District: voters were not given the ballots for electing Gamgebeli. According to the information available to us, the Precinct Election Administration made a decision to invalidate 27 ballots found in the box. GYLA submitted a complaint requesting to impose a disciplinary responsibility upon the commission members.

One more type of violation was identified: presence of unauthorized persons at the polling station. At the precinct #25 of the Kareli District the Sakrebulo majoritarian candidate nominated by “Nino Burjanadze – United Opposition” – Marlen Lomitashvili participated in the process as an observer from the NGO “New Generation – for Democratic Georgia”. In addition, at the precinct #22 of the Kaspi District, the Gamgebeli candidate of the same electoral subject – Vakhtang Gugulishvili participated as an observer. Following the response by GYLA, the candidate has left the polling station.

At the precinct #82 of the Rustavi District the voting by an unauthorized persons was identified. The commission member participated in the elections with the 2 majoritarian ballots. Following the remark by GYLA observer, the District Election Commission arrived at the polling station and requested explanation from the Precinct Election Commission member.

At the Chaisubani Precinct of the Kobuleti District, the chairperson of the Precinct Election Commission did not allow the voter into the polling station, explaining that the voter “was not properly dressed”, which the chairperson considered to be unethical (the voter was dressed in so-called “shorts”). The voter was not given the possibility to participate in the elections. The GYLA observer submitted the complaint against the election commission chairperson.

At the precinct #32 of the Nadzaladevi District, the exact time of dropping the control sheet into the ballot box was not indicated. At the precinct #50 of the Marneuli District the control sheet was not dropped into the box after the arrival of the first voter. GYLA observers submitted the complaint on the mentioned violation.

It was discovered that a group of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are not provided with the new IDP cards, which caused them problems in terms of participating in the elections. For example, according to GYLA observers, at the precinct #24 of the Khoni District, since the IDPs did not have the new IDP cards, they tried to participate in the elections through their old IDP cards.

According to the CEC information, since the re-registration of those persons has completed on May 31 and they were registered in the voters’ list in compliance with the regulations, despite the fact that the new cards were not yet prepared, the CEC issued the recommendation not to restrict the electoral right of those persons and to allow them to participate in the elections either through an old IDP card or without it.

From the date of its establishment in 1994, GYLA actively observes the elections of legislative, executive and local self-government bodies and works to support conducting the elections in a calm, fair environment and to support a steadfast protection of the legislation of Georgia during the electoral processes.

Today, on June 15, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association conducts the observation of the Local Elections in Tbilisi and in 40 districts of 10 regions of Georgia through up to 500 observers.

Static observers are designated to 400 polling stations thoughout Georgia. Mobile groups drive around in 40 districts. GYLA conducts observation at the precincts, created in the special cases, at the precincts, where minorities reside and at the precincts, identified to be problematic during the previous elections.

It is notable that the hotline operates on the election day, which gives both citizens and journalists a possibility to receive legal consultations on the voting procedures.

The hotline operates on the election day for the journalists and media organizations. The journalists and media organizations have a possibility to receive information and legal consultation on the election procedures, election day violations and ways to respond to them; journalists and media organizations also have a possibility to provide us with the information on the violations that they discovered.

In addition, for receiving the comprehensive information on the election day violations, please visit www.electionsportal.ge, where you can submit an information on the violation that you identified – through filing an online form or sending a free SMS to the number 90039.

GYLA Local Self-Government Election and Post-Election Observation Mission was made possible with the support of the American people through funding of the “United States Agency for International Development” (USAID). The opinions expressed in the statement belong to

ჯ. კახიძის #15, თბილისი, საქართველო, 0102 ; ტელ: (995 32) 95 23 53; ფაქსი: (995 32) 92 32 11; ელ-ფოსტა: gyla@gyla.ge; www.gyla.ge
15, J. Kakhidze str. 0102, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: (995 32) 95 23 53; Fax: (995 32) 92 32 11; E-mail: gyla@gyla.ge; www.gyla.ge

Results of the Election Day Violations by 14:00