Intermediate Report Research of Pre-election Period - The Human ...

for the position on August 26. According to the ICMM, commission chairpersons refused to
implement the instructions of the government and decided to resign. 55
37. Georgian Dream‟s posters painted in Stepantsminda – On September 5, employees of the
cleaning service painted posters of the Georgian Dream in Stepantsminda. Head of Georgian
Dream‟s Stepantsminda district organization Shalva Eloshvili told ICMM about it. “All
posters, which were placed in the center of Stepantsminda, were painted in white. I did not
witness this fact personally but we know that employees of the town cleaning service did it,”
Eloshvili said. “Coalition Georgian Dream placed their election posters in the places allocated
by the District Election Commission. The law prohibits damage of election posters; it is
violation of Article 46 of the Election Code,” lawyer of the Georgian Dream‟s Stepantsminda
office Manana Marsagishvili said. Three witnesses confirmed with the ICMM that employees
of the cleaning service had painted the posters. Head of Stepantsminda cleaning service
Elguja Alibegashvili did not comment on the fact. 56
38. Attempt to fail pre-election meeting – National Movement‟s activists tried to fail the
meeting of the Georgian Dream‟s majoritarian candidate Zakaria Kutsnashvili in Zhebota
village, Tianeti district. Activists of the ruling party arrived at the meeting in the UNM‟s t-
shirts. Among them was former police officer Alika Pitskhelauri who did not allow Zakaria
Kutsnashvili to introduce voters with their election program. “First volume of Dachi‟s Fairy
Tales finished. Why should I stop? It is not your business. I am not irritating anybody. Shall I
ask you permission where to go?! Georgia is a country where everybody has right to express
his opinion. I am not arguing or insulting anybody,” Alika Pitskhelauri told Georgian
Dream‟s supporters. “You are already insulting people by creating similar situation here. Let
us listen to the majoritarian candidate. Shall we listen to your remarks?” the voters told him.
Law enforcement authorities have not yet launched investigation about the incident which
occurred in Duluzaurebi village, Tianeti district in August. Then, Badur Poladishvili, who
55 http://www.humanrights.ge/index.php?a=main&pid=15571&lang=geo
56 http://www.youtube.com/watchfeature=player_embedded&v=VYPuVZKIjwk
46