Elections: Watchdog on Alleged Use of Administrative Resources

Transparency International (TI) Georgia, key election watchdog, released today an interim report on alleged cases of misuse of administrative resources, which “remains a problem” during the period ahead of October 2 local elections.

The report covers the period from June 1 to September 25, and delves into alleged misuse of enforcement, legislative, institutional and financial administrative resources. 

Enforcement administrative resources

The watchdog said there were regular reports about allegedly politically motivated dismissals from state-funded organizations and pressure on supporters of ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party. TI Georgia said 19 of the cases it studied indicated political harassment. 

TI Georgia said parties also reported alleged cases of pressure by the State Security Service and other agencies on their candidates to drop out of the races. The watchdog noted that 22 such cases involved For Georgia candidates, but opposition parties United National Movement, Girchi – More Freedom and Third Force – Strategy Aghmashenebeli had also talked about similar cases.

The watchdog also analyzed facts of alleged pressure by the Security Service and Finance Ministry’s Investigative Service on businesses for party donations in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. During the “short time period” of August 2-16, 87 individuals and five companies donated 714,000 GEL (USD 229,581) to the Georgian Dream party, according to TI Georgia, which was “unusual” and “may be considered as indirect evidence” backing reports of pressure.

Legislative administrative resources

TI Georgia said some provisions included in the Election Code amendments passed in June diminished the significance of the reform. It pointed to shortening the periods between parliamentary votes to elect professional Central Election Commission professional members to one week from initially envisaged four, “allowing the ruling party to approve the desired candidates without agreeing on them with the opposition.”

Institutional administrative resources

The watchdog said public sector employees actively attended campaign meetings of the GD. According to TI Georgia, there was a possibility that public sector employees were participating in the campaigns against their will. It also argued, “such concentration of public servants in a campaign encourages, at the very least, extreme politicization of the public service.”

Financial administrative resources

As for alleged misuse of financial administrative resources, TI Georgia said there were no violations of the Election Code of Georgia, but identified 10 state initiatives that “may be deemed to be” election-motivated expenses.

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