Photo and video evidence obtained by Georgian News journalists at polling stations in Tetritskaro, Gurjaani, and Akhmeta on election day show that Georgian Dream exercised full control and applied pressure on voters.
News
Trending stories
- 1 Marauding Kadyrovites Among Masked Raiders in Tbilisi - Editor's Column
- 2 Presidential Candidate Mikheil Kavelashvili Lacks Higher Education
- 3 Fischer: Heidelberg Cement Exits Georgian Market, One of Germany's Largest Investments
- 4 Online Journalists Banned from Parliament Indefinitely
- 5 Putin Expresses Surprise at Georgian Authorities' Courage
- 6 12 Found Dead in Bedroom of Indian Restaurant in Gudauri
In addition to the coordinators mobilized at the precincts, the ruling party had a designated person assigned to each polling station. Niko Khabuliani, the representative of Georgian Dream, was responsible for polling station N1 in the 26th election district of Tetritskaro.
He was with Zurab Dalakishvili, a member of the Tetritskaro Municipality Council from Georgian Dream, in his personal vehicle, license plate QQ-760-QQ. Khabuliani and Dalakishvili had a list with photos of the district's voters, which, by law, they should not have had access to, as it contains personal data. Khabuliani approached voters as they left the polling station, asking them whom they had voted for. Based on written evidence we obtained from the same area, it was established that Georgian Dream had organized call centers for election day.
Data on the number of Georgian Dream voters who visited the polling station was collected and tallied multiple times throughout the day. Voters were counted and applauded hourly. In cases where a sufficient number had not turned up, voters were contacted and urged to come and vote. The person responsible for each precinct oversaw arrangements for transporting voters from home to the polling station. During transportation, voters were informed that a party representative was positioned by the ballot box, observing whom they voted for and which option they marked. Observers reported large-scale breaches of voting secrecy on election day.
This practice extended to voters employed in municipal budget services, who had submitted their personal and family members' identification numbers to town halls or AIPs 2-3 weeks before the elections. After voting, these voters were instructed to call a call center to confirm their participation and vote. Many were given a contact number the day before the election specifically for this purpose.
Each polling station had a designated contact person within the "Georgian Dream" call center. The document identifies Salome Imnadze as the call center contact for Tetritskaro's N1 polling station. We have confirmed that she is an employee of the Tetritskaro Municipality Council office.
During our phone conversation, we initially introduced ourselves as representatives of the Personal Data Protection Service and asked him to clarify his actions. We inquired how he obtained the personal data of voters from the 1st precinct of the 26th electoral district of Tetritskaro, including the ID card number, first name, last name, and date of birth of all voters. Salome Imnadze abruptly hung up. We called Imnadze again and informed him that we were contacting him from Georgian News regarding his activities on election day.
- Who are you, to do this to me? How do you know my name and surname, and where did you get my number?
- Salome, where did you get the personal data of the voters? Who instructed you to be in charge of the 1st election precinct at the call center on October 26?
- Who are you to talk to me like this? Don’t call me on this number again.
Lia Pridonashvili was the person in charge of the call center at the N1 election precinct of the 12th electoral district of Gurjaani. On the eve of the elections, municipal representatives gave voters her phone number, instructing them to call after voting. Lia Pridonashvili is a case manager at the Nato Vachnadze House-Museum, which is part of the AIP Gurjaani library and museum association. In our conversation, Pridonashvili denied working for the Georgian Dream call center on October 26.
- Why did voters call you to report they had voted, or why did you call them to urge them to come?
- I don't know, I don't know.
- Who gave you the personal data of the voters?
- I don’t know what you’re accusing me of. I wasn’t involved in the elections.
As per documents obtained at the N1 election precinct of the 18th electoral district of Akhmeta, the person responsible for notifying voters was Adam Samkharadze, with call center operators Lela Gedekhauri and Giorgi Berdzenishvili assisting.
