On September 30, 2012, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association held a pres-conference about GYLA’s monitoring mission for October 1, 2012 parliamentary elections.

GYLA will monitor the parliamentary elections day in Tbilisi and 35 districts throughout 9 regions of Georgia.

Static observers have been placed in 195 election precincts throughout Georgia. Mobile groups will be moving throughout 35 districts. GYLA will monitor precincts set up in exceptional cases, precincts in districts mostly settled by minorities and precincts that proved to be problematic during previous regions.

The regions are as follows:

Below are the recommendations of GYLA for covering the polling day. The document has been prepared based on the Election Code of Georgia and the Resolution N42-2012 of the Central Election Commission of Georgia, dated September 24, 2012.

On September 30, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) and Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) published preliminary results of monitoring staffing of the election administration. Monitoring the Staffing of the Election Administration is a joint project of the NGOs, carried out throughout 73 election districts of Georgia for the purpose of studying staffs of the precinct election commissions (PECs).

The project aims at studying recruitment of members of the election administration and providing the election administration with recommendations for the purpose of improving the practice of staffing election commissions and building trust in the commissions. In frames of the project we conducted a statistical research of PECs throughout Georgia in 396 election precincts identified based on random and representative statistical selection.

According to the NGOs, first meetings of PECs were held in a timely manner; chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and secretaries of PECs were also elected in a timely manner. Most of the PECs fulfilled the obligation of publishing voter lists (96,7%) and procedures for filing complaints over voter lists (79,7%).

At 10:00 A.M Media Center hosted briefing by Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association, regarding the results for the polling day by 10 A.M

GYLA observes the course of election in Tbilisi and 35 election districts of 9 regions. By 10:00 a.m., the situation during the polling process is mostly calm. However, several procedural violations have been demonstrated at several precincts:

1.       By the time of the opening, at Sachkere #73 and Didube #1 precincts the sealing wax of bulletin package has been damaged.

2.       GYLA observers had difficulty in entering #116 precinct for exceptional cases and #77 Gldani precinct, however by this time, the problem has been settled down.

3.       At the #91 precinct for exceptional cases of Saburtalo district, after casting lots, the commission members distributed functions among themselves on their own.

4.       At Saburtalo #28 precinct the voter took part in the  polling process that was indicated in the list as “registered at the consulate”, which is a violation of the polling process.

Monitors of GYLA have observed problems related to inking at several election precincts. The liquid is unstable as GYLA’s monitors confirm that in certain cases marks are not visible when exposed to ultraviolet light.

There were the following types of problems revealed with respect to inking

• Marks are not visible despite exposure to ultraviolet light several times (precinct N91 in Saburtalo, precinct N24 in Krtsanisi);

• The liquid is of poor quality and leaves mark only after the bottle is shaken powerfully (precinct N55 in Nadzaladevi, precinct N8 in Batumi);

• Marks are not visible when ink is applied on top of nail varnish (precinct N8 in Kobuleti, precinct N41 in Nadzaladevi).

Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) continues observing the course of the polling day, at 35 election districts of Tbilisi and regions.

As of 5 PM, certain persons are still mobilized at the nearby areas of the polling stations, who are registering the flow of voters. We interpret the fact as indirect influence on the free will of the voters and regard it as inexpedient. It is important that many troubled citizens who are getting in touch with us through a hot line, find this fact limitation for free manifestation of their will.

We appeal to the political parties to stop limitation and restriction of voters’ manifestation of their free will.

During the last several hours, following violations have been revealed by GYLA observers:

1. 5 cases of the fact, when the signature was already present in the list across the voter’s name, by the time he/she entered the polling station. (#23 and #58 precincts in Batumi, and #21 Saburtalo precinct in Tbilisi)

2. The marking procedure is still a problem at some precincts. Because the marking liquid is of poor quality, the stain of the liquid is not present. In spite of our complaint, the polling process continues with the application of poor quality liquid, or without any marking liquid at all.

3. Frequent cases, when video shooting is illegally restricted are manifested on the majority of precincts. Sagarejo district is of special importance. Members of commission ask the video operators to shoot only the ballot box and not entire polling area, which is the legislative restriction.

4. When a GYLA observer decided to write a complaint, he/she was illegally banished from #50 Marneuli precinct. Later, with the participation of CEC, the observer was allowed back to the precinct.

Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) continues observing the course of the polling day, at 35 election districts of Tbilisi and regions.

As of 5 PM, certain persons are still mobilized at the nearby areas of the polling stations, who are registering the flow of voters. We interpret the fact as indirect influence on the free will of the voters and regard it as inexpedient. It is important that many troubled citizens who are getting in touch with us through a hot line, find this fact limitation for free manifestation of their will.

We appeal to the political parties to stop limitation and restriction of voters’ manifestation of their free will.

During the last several hours, following violations have been revealed by GYLA observers:

1. 5 cases of the fact, when the signature was already present in the list across the voter’s name, by the time he/she entered the polling station. (#23 and #58 precincts in Batumi, and #21 Saburtalo precinct in Tbilisi)

GYLA continues to monitor the course of the polling day in Tbilisi and 35 election districts throughout the regions.

As of 09:00am, special units are mobilized nearby precinct N69 in Saburtalo N3 District and precinct N31 in Krtsanisi N4 District.

There were individuals mobilized outside the precinct, who were registering voters. We would like to clarify once more that it amounts to indirect control on free expression of voters’ will.

Further, in the last few hours GYLA’s observers identified the following violations:

• Active concentration of police outside precincts N16, 29 and 31 in Krtsanisi N4 Election District. Police officers are asking people who have arrived at the precinct to identify themselves and explain why they’ve come;

• Mobilization of police and public servants outside precinct N49 in Dusheti District. This is one of the largest precincts in Dusheti District’

• Confrontation between activists of political forces outside precinct N8 of Saburtalo N3 District;

Throughout recent days GYLA’s lawyers visited inmates in prisons N8 in Gldani, N6, N16, N17 in Rustavi and N3 in Batumi. Statements and applications of 240 prisoners, signed by 90 prisoners, will be provided to the office of the chief prosecutor.

Inmates specify names, surnames and nicknames of those personnel who were allegedly involved in facts of ill-treatment and torture. Below is the list of persons implicated by prisoners in each individual penitentiary facility. We have preserved the list intact, without removing names of persons who have already been arrested. You may view the list in the document attached below.

GYLA will also provide the office of the chief prosecutor once again, the list of GYLA’s clients, whose applications served as grounds for launching a probe but without any success. Some investigations were launched in 2009 and still continue, ineffectively. Applications have been filed over gross violation of rights of GYLA’s clients by administrations of penitentiary establishments (medical facility N18, Ksani N15 Prison, Gldani N8 Prison) as well as police.

Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) and Transparency International – Georgia have released a statement on developments during tabulation of election results.

Currently, appeals are still ongoing at district election commissions (DECs).

According to observers as well as media reports, political party activists are assembling outside DECs, frequently acting in an aggressive manner. In particular, rallies demanding annulment of precincts and re-counting of votes are ongoing outside DECs in Martvili, Senaki, Terjola, Ambrolauri, Sighnaghi, Dedoplistskaro, Lagodekhi, Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe, Marneuli and Tetristskaro. Further, there are reports about planned picketing of various DECs. ISFED’s observer in Zugdidi Election District was pressured due to the fact that ISFED’s red logo was associated by a party activist with a concrete political force.