Georgian Ombudsman demands to punish those who destroyed Eka Beseliya's election posters

Ombudsman of Georgia Sozar Subari has addressed Levan Tarkhnishvili, head of the Central Electoral Commissions (CEC) of Georgia, with a request to draw up a protocol on Lado Kvichidze, Manager of the Tbilisi City Illumination Agency ("Tbilgorodosveschenie"), who ordered to take away pre-election posters of Eka Beseliya, a candidate from the United Opposition.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has learnt about it from the Ombudsman's statement that was made public by his press service on May 16.

The office of Eka Beseliya handed over a video record to the Ombudsman's office depicting a fact of destruction of the candidate's election poster.

According to point 4, Article 75, of the Electoral Code, it is prohibited to stick electoral posters to cult buildings, interior and exterior of governmental premises, local self-government institutions, courts, procurators, military and police units and street traffic signs. Besides, the Article gives the right to local self-government authorities to introduce bans on placing electoral posters on monuments of culture and architecture, outgoing from the need to protect them. However, as stated in the statement of the Ombudsman office, street lanterns are outside any of the above.

"According to Article 1748 of the Georgian Administrative Code of Offences, any obstruction to dissemination of pre-election appeals, statements, inscriptions, leaflets, photo and other materials, and also withdrawal of them shall entail a fine from 800 to 1000 laris (550-690 US dollars), and for officials - from 800 to 1200 laris (550-830 US dollars), or imprisonment for up to 30 days," runs the statement.

The Ombudsman of Georgia thinks that destruction of Beseliya's posters before the end of the pre-election campaign is an obstruction to dissemination of pre-election documents, depriving the voters of their chances to obtain information and make their choice.