Kordzaia Seeks Ombudsman’s Response on Whether Voter Privacy Was Violated in Elections

According to Kordzaia, on October 26, the Georgian Dream government undermined the freedom of choice by compromising voting secrecy.

"On election day, the central figure is the voter, whose right to vote is guaranteed by the Constitution. Here, that right was destroyed. I appeal to the Public Defender: if you are visiting the regions and Tsalka, Mr. Levan, perhaps you could address whether the voter's freedom of choice in relation to secrecy was violated? I demand a concrete answer to this publicly, in the form of a briefing, not a written document, because human rights in this country cannot be further destroyed than they already have been," said Tamar Kordzaia on "Formula" TV.

As per assessments by opposition parties and local monitoring organizations, voters’ right to voting secrecy was widely violated on election day, which could serve as grounds for annulling the results.

TheGeorgian Young Lawyers' Association reports that Georgian Dream installed video cameras in polling stations, mainly directed at the ballot boxes. Additionally, the ballots' quality was insufficient to ensure that no mark from the colored circle was left on the back. The Association believes that these two factors combined create a high risk of influencing voters' choices, thereby violating the freedom of voting and expression. The human rights organization demands the annulment of the summary protocols from 2263 election precincts, where voting was conducted electronically, representing 90% of the votes. Granting GYLA’s complaints would result in re-elections.

The Central Election Commission denies any violation of voting secrecy. According to CEC Chairman Giorgi Kalandarishvili, "At no stage could anyone determine which specific political union the voter supported."

The Office of the Public Defender last issued a statement regarding the parliamentary elections on October 26, before the voting day concluded.