The election campaign for the 2016 parliamentary elections officially started on June 8. Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) observes the pre-election period through its head office in Tbilisi and eight regional offices in Adjara, Guria, Imereti, Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, and Samegrelo.The observation aims to contribute to fair and transparent electoral processes and to ensuring the observance of electoral legislation and internationally established democratic standards by members of the election administration, election contestants, and civil servants in the pre-election period, 

 According to the information the GYLA has received from various sources, representatives of political parties are recording the personal data (name, surname, personal number) of voters without explaining the purpose of collecting these data. It is particularly important that the target groups of these individuals are socially vulnerable people, ethnic minorities, and IDPs. It is noteworthy that the name, surname, and personal number constitute personal information of a person and it is impermissible to process them without the consent of the person concerned (data subject).

In one of the buildings in the town of Lanchkhuti, Lanchkhuti Municipality, which houses several non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities (N(N)LEs) of the Lanchkhuti Municipality, we have observed election campaigning materials posted on the doors to the rooms of N(N)LE Tekservisi (director – Irakli Chkhaidze). The campaigning materials are stickers of political association Georgian Dream featuring circled number 41. In connection with the aforementioned, the GYLA has filed applications in the Lanchkhuti District Election Commission No. 61 and the Interagency Commission for Free and Fair Elections. 

 According to a Gurianews report, on October 19 this year, Bela Shatirishvili, a representative of the Head of the Municipal Administration of Chokhatauri in the village of Shua Amagleba, took part in election campaigning during working hours.   In connection with the aforementioned, the GYLA has filed applications in the Chokhatauri District Election Commission No. 62 and the Interagency Commission for Free and Fair Elections.  According to a Gurjaani TV report, on September 9 this year,  Davit Songhulashvili, a majoritarian candidate in Gurjaani from Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia, visited the Georgian-French medical diagnostic center Kakheti-Ioni as part of his election campaign.

On September 13, members of the initiative group supporting Irakli Okruashvili, a majoritarian candidate for Gori, distributed various food products to residents of apartment buildings no. 11, 13, and 15 located on Shindisi highway in Gori. It is noteworthy that before distribution of the products, Irakli Okruashvili himself, the majoritarian candidate for Gori, had met with the citizens. In connection with this, according to news reports, Mamuka Nozadze, a majoritarian candidate for Gori from Alliance of Patriots – United Opposition, filed a complaint in the prosecutor’s office. The fact of distribution of food products has also been confirmed by one of the citizens. In connection with the aforementioned, the GYLA has filed applications in the State Audit Office of Georgia and the Interagency Commission for Free and Fair Elections. 

On September 19, Irakli Kobakhidze, Executive Secretary of Georgian Dream, made a statement that, in the early morning of September 19, activists of the United National Movement – two of whom were representatives of the campaign headquarters of Sevdia Ugrekhelidze – had entered the campaign office of Levan Gogichaishvili, a majoritarian candidate of Georgian Dream, wearing Georgian Dream T-shirts and carrying firearms. According to Mr. Kobakhidze, the said individuals intended to make a video that would show that people with criminal mentality gathered in the Georgian Dream headquarters. The Executive Secretary of Georgian Dream also stated that activists of Georgian Dream who were at the headquarters called the police and the police studied the situation on the ground.