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Final Report of 2016 Parliamentary Elections Monitoring Program

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Final Report of 2016 Parliamentary Elections Monitoring Program ELECTIONS MONITORING PROGRAM Tbilisi, Georgia 2016 The present report was developed and published by the Public Movement Multinational Georgia (PMMG) within the frames of the 2016 Parliamentary Elections Complex Monitoring Program being implemented in the elections districts of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli and Kakheti regions densely populated with ethnic monitories. The program covered pre-election, Elections Day, Runoff Elections and post-election periods. The elections monitoring program was realized within the framework of the following projects financially supported by the respective donors: To promote a free, fair and competitive election environment in the areas of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli and Kakheti regions with the compact settlement of ethnic minorities To contribute to the conduct of more free and fair Parliamentary Elections in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions Support to free and fair Parliamentary Elections in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions Development of Civil Society in Ethnic Minority Regions To contribute to more competitive, fair and inclusive electoral environment in Georgia for 2016-2018 Electoral Cycles The content of the report is under the sole responsibility of the PMMG and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the donor organizations. ELECTIONS MONITORING PROGRAM FINAL REPORT CONTENTS 1. INFORMATION ABOUT THE ELECTIONS MONITORING PROGRAM CARRIED OUT 2 BY THE PUBLIC MOVEMENT MULTINATIONAL GEORGIA PMMG 2. MAIN FINDINGS OF THE ELECTIONS MONITORING PROGRAM 3 3. GENERAL INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO 2016 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 8 3.1. Management of the elec ons and elec on administra on 3.1.1. Informa onal provision of ethnic minority voters 3.1.2. Capacity building of ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijanian members of pre- cinct elec on commissions 3.1.3. Informa onal provision of ethnic minority voters regarding vo ng proce- dures 3.1.4. Civic and educa onal projects for ethnic minority voters 3.2. The process of registra on of the electoral subjects 3.3. The ethnic composi on of the electoral lists submi ed by the poli cal subjects for 2016 Parliamentary Elec ons of Georgia as well as ethnic affi lia on of ma- joritarian candidates 3.4. The ethnic composi on of the elected members of the Parliament 4. PREELECTION PERIOD 13 4.1. Methodology 4.2. Main fi ndings 4.3. Pre-elec on campaign of the poli cal subjects 4.4. Incidents and tendencies revealed during Pre-elec on monitoring process 5. ELECTIONS DAY: 8 OCTOBER FIRST ROUND 27 5.1. The Elec ons Day monitoring program of the PMMG 5.2. Methodology of the monitoring program 5.3. Main fi ndings of PMMG Elec ons Day monitoring grogram 5.4. The incidents revealed on the Elec ons Day as well as fi led complaints 6. ELECTIONS DAY: 30 OCTOBER RUNOFF ELECTIONS 37 6.1. The Elec ons Day monitoring grogram of the PMMG 6.2. Main fi ndings of PMMG Elec ons Day monitoring grogram 6.3. The incidents revealed on the Elec ons Day as well as fi led complaints 7. INFORMATION ABOUT THE PMMG 44 8. RECOMMENDATIONS 45 1 2016 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 1. INFORMATION ABOUT THE ELECTIONS MONITORING PROGRAM CARRIED OUT BY THE PUBLIC MOVEMENT MULTINATIONAL GEORGIA PMMG The present report captures the results of Akhalkalaki-Ninotsminda elec on district. 2016 Parliamentary Elec ons monitoring pro- gram carried out by the PMMG. The report For 30 October Runoff Elec ons PMMG car- covers pre-elec on, Elec ons Day, Runoff ried out the monitoring of the Elec on Day Elec ons and post-elec on periods. proceedings in # 23 Sagarejo, # 36 Marneuli, # 44 Adigeni-Akhaltsikhe and # 9 Isani elec- The elec ons monitoring program com- toral districts. The monitoring program cov- menced on 15 July by launching the pre-elec- ered 12 elec on precincts of # 23 Sagarejo on monitoring ac vi es. The target area of ED, 46 elec on precincts of # 36 Marneuli ED, pre-elec on monitoring covered the follow- 7 elec on precincts of # 44 Adigeni-Akhaltsik- ing cons tuencies with high density of ethnic he ED and 8 elec on precincts of # 9 Isani ED. minority popula on: Ninotsminda-Akhalkala- The monitoring program covered 23 Sagare- ki #46, Adigeni-Akhaltsikhe #44, Borjomi-As- jo, # 36 Marneuli, # 44 Adigeni-Akhaltsikhe pindza-Akhalkalaki #45 (Samtskhe-Javakhe and # 9 Isani district elec on commissions as region), Marneuli #35 and #36, Bolnisi-Dman- well as Central Elec on Commission. In total, isi-Tsalka #34, Gardabani #31, Gardabani-Te- on the Elec ons Day 99 short-term observers tritskaro #32 (Kvemo Kartli rgion) and Sagare- were deployed including 73 sta c observes, jo #23 (Kakhe region) Elec on Districts. The 21 mobile group observers, 4 district elec on monitoring programme was implemented commission observers and 1 CEC observer. with the help of 11 long-term observers, who constantly monitor the exis ng electoral con- The post-elec on monitoring was carried di ons and trends. out in the same EDs targeted by the elec on monitoring program. For 8 October Parliamentary Elec ons (fi rst round of elec ons) PMMG conducted the Hereby it has to be noted that since 2003 Elec ons Day monitoring program covering PMMG is ac vely engaged in a process of 8 elec on districts (ED) of Kvemo Kartli, Kak- promo on of fair elec ons as well as eff ec ve he and Samtskhe-Javakeh regions with the realiza on of elec on procedures. Organiza- compact se lement of ethnic minori es: # on conducted Elec ons Day monitoring for 46 Ninotsminda-Akhalkalaki ED, # 35 and # all elec ons held in the country including in 36 Marneuli ED, # 33 Bolnisi ED, # 34 Dman- Adjara region as well as in so called South Os- isi-Tsalka-Bolnisi ED, # 31 Gardabani ED, # 32 se a Region. Tetritskaro-Gardabani ED and # 23 Sagarejo ED. PMMG has assessed pre-elec on, Elec ons Day, Runoff Elec ons and post-elec on peri- The Elec ons Day monitoring program was ods towards the following legal instruments: being implemented by 294 observers de- “obliga ons for the conduct of democra c ployed by the PMMG including 227 sta c ob- elec ons for OSCE member states”, “the code servers, 59 mobile group observers, 6 district of good prac ce in elec on materials (Ven- elec on commission observes and 2 central ice Commission)”, “Copenhagen Document”, elec on commission observers. The mon- other interna onal standards for democra c itoring program en rely covered # 35 and # elec ons as well as Georgian legisla on. 36 Marneuli elec on districts as well as # 46 2 ELECTIONS MONITORING PROGRAM FINAL REPORT 2. MAIN FINDINGS OF THE ELECTIONS MONITORING PROGRAM PPREREEELECTIONLECTION PERIOD:PERIOD: f)1 incident of alleged use of financial administrative resources; g) 12 incidents ● As compared with the parliamentary of abuse of institutional administrative elections of 2012, the electoral resources; h) 2 incidents of alleged use of environment for the 2016 parliamentary institutional administrative resources. elections was characterised with higher level of freedom in the constituencies ● A suggestive tendency was revealed in with high density of ethnic minority the course of the monitoring program population, namely in Ninotsminda- manifesting in increase of the local Akhalkalaki #46, Adigeni-Akhaltsikhe self-government budgets of Sagarejo, #44, Borjomi-Aspindza-Akhalkalaki #45 Ninotsminda, Adigeni, Akhalkalaki, (Samtskhe-Javakheti region), Marneuli Akhaltsikhe, Gardabani, Marneuli, Bolnisi #35 and #36, Bolnisi-Dmanisi-Tsalka #34, and Dmanisi municipalities in 2016 as Gardabani #31, Gardabani-Tetritskaro compared to the previous 2015. However, #32 (Kvemo Kartli rgion) and Sagarejo taken into account 2015 inflation rate #23 (Kakheti region) Election Districts. as counted by the World Bank then it This created more possibilities for larger appears that the budget of Sagarejo number of political subjects to run municipality actually decreased by 4 % in election campaigns in comparatively free, 2016 and only in Akhalkalaki, Marneuli, fair and competitive environment. Bolnisi and Dmansi was the real increase more than 5%. ● It is also noteworthy that unlike parliamentary elections of 2012, the party- ● Hereby it has to be noted that the highest propaganda content was less present in the real change has been identified in case public events including the presentation of Ahkalkalaki municipality with 44 % of municipal programs to the local increase of 2016 budget as compared communities, launch of infrastructural with the previous year. In addition, initiatives, celebration of anniversaries it can be argued that the budgets of etc. organised in the project target areas, Adigeni, Akhaltsikhe and Ninotsminda which clearly showed a progress. municipalities (at 5 %, 5 % and 4 % respectively, taking into account inflation) ● It must be also mentioned that the electoral have not been considerably increased. environment for the 2016 parliamentary elections in project targeted election ● With regard to financing of infrastructural districts was characterised with less legal projects the analysis of the local gravity of revealed electoral violations and budgets of Sagarejo, Ninotsminda, lower frequency of violations. During pre- Adigeni, Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe, election period, the long-term observers Gardabani, Marneuli, Bolnisi and of the PMMG revealed: a) 2 incidents Dmanisi municipalities have revealed the of physical harassment; b) 1 incident of following tendencies: the increase (taking alleged interference in the conduction into account the inflation) of budgetary of pre-election campaign/activities; c) 1 disbursement on infrastructural projects incident of voter bribing; d) 15 incidents of has been detected in all municipalities alleged use of enforcement administrative with the comparably higher increase resources; e) 2 incidents of abuse of rate revealed in Akhaltsikhe (75 %) and enforcement administrative resources; Akhalkalaki (67 %) municipalities. The 3 2016 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS minor increase on infrastructural projects by the local self-government structures has been revealed in cases of Marneuli (1 for the party purposes; abuse of the %) and Ninotsminda (2 %).
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