Audit Office: Salome Zurabishvili Got 79.66% of Donations
Eleven electoral subjects registered the presidential elections raised GEL 2,866,488 in cash and non-monetary donations in the period from October 17 through October 28, according to the State Audit Office, an independent body in charge of the political finance monitoring.
The State Audit Office reported that 97.65% of total donations (GEL 2,799,620) in the reporting period were distributed among four electoral subjects. 76.66% of the funds (GEL 2,283,653) were received by the ruling party-endorsed candidate, Salome Zurabishvili, followed by the Industry will Save Georgia with GEL 286,000 (9.97%), whose candidate, Otar Meunargia ran in the first round of the presidential elections. The United National Movement and European Georgia come next with GEL 151,457 (5.28%) and GEL 81,235 (2.83%), respectively.
During the reporting period, Free Georgia raised GEL 29,550; Free Democrats – GEL 2,801; Labor Party – GEL 1,000; Christian-Democratic Movement – GEL 670. New Political Center-Girchi received GEL 33 and GEL 15,522 in monetary and non-monetary donations, respectively. Vladimer Nonikashvili, an independent candidate, raised GEL 600 in non-monetary donation.
Besides monetary donations, GEL 5,340,000 was allocated from the state budget for the representatives of 14 political subjects at polling stations. Each of them received GEL 381,450 from the budget.
Runoff between the two top contenders has to be held two weeks after the CEC publishes the final vote tally of the first round that is no later than 20 days after the Election Day. This places the latest possible date of the runoff on December 1, 2018.
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