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).
2012-10-01 12:29 See moreAt 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.
2012-10-01 08:58 See moreOn 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%).
2012-10-01 08:53 See moreBelow 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.
2012-10-01 05:16 See moreOn 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:
2012-10-01 05:11 See moreGeorgian Young Lawyers’ Association, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, and the Transparency International – Georgia released a final evaluation of pre-election environment during the press conference held on September 29, 2012. The October 1, 2012 parliamentary elections is an event of paramount importance for Georgia, as in addition to the country’s transition to the system of a mixed government, weight of the legislative authority will be significantly changed. Election processes are greatly affected by the pre-election period as in order for the whole process to be deemed as fair, it is important that the pre-election environment provides for a fair and level playing field. The pre-election period was characterized with tough competition, strained atmosphere and multiple violations. Regrettably, there was a lack of pre-election campaigning focused on discussion of election programs and thematic debate. To the contrary, the pre-election campaign involved plentiful use of compromising information, multiple violations of law, active use of hate speech, violent and aggressive clashes. During active election processes the following key trends and violations have been revealed:
2012-09-30 06:14 See moreGeorgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) will monitor the manifestations to be held by the coalition Georgian Dream on September 29, 2012 in Tbilisi and in Kutaisi. The monitoring will be carried out within the frames of a long-term pre-election monitoring, which entails monitoring of public meetings organized by political parties as well as realization of freedom of assembly and manifestation.
2012-09-28 14:42 See moreThroughout 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.
2012-09-28 13:22 See moreOn September 16, 2012, convict Oleg Ramishvili applied to the chairperson of Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association in written about a number of illegal activities perpetrated in a penitentiary facility. Specifically, the applicant talks about the death of Convict Sergo Tetradze in prison N8 in September 2011. He calls in question official version of Sergo Tetradze’s death, that he died of heart attack, and specifies actual cause of his death. Facts cited by Oleg Ramishvili in his application involve offences and may serve as grounds for launching a probe. Therefore, today, on September 27, GYLA referred the statement to the office of the chief prosecutor, requesting a probe.
2012-09-27 12:57 See moreIn response to the recent frequent administrative arrests in Georgia, GYLA would like to state that identity and status of certain individuals, their political or civil activities and circumstances of their arrest as well as proceedings where court ordered administrative imprisonment against them raises doubts about motivation of measures applied. GYLA is particularly concerned with the fact that during recent days there has been a frequent cases of application of administrative detention. According to various reports, from September 21 to September 24, there were total of 23 administrative arrests on charges of disobedience to the police in several cities of Georgia . Some of the detainees are representatives of or associated with the opposition coalition Georgian Dream, including Davit Patsatsia arrested on September 21, and Kakhaber Zhorzholiani arrested on September 23. The detainees’ relation with the coalition Georgian Dream was confirmed by one of the representatives of the coalition, who informed GYLA that the detainees are coordinators and members of the coalition’s mobile group. The detainees also include persons actively involved in recent protest assemblies – Dachi Tsaguria and Beka Aladashvili, arrested on September 22, whose interests were defended by GYLA’s representative in court.
2012-09-25 11:07 See more