Special decree on police conduct in election periods

Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs has issued a special decree which envisages the creation of responsible police groups in all Georgian regions to prevent and respond to election-related violations or provocations.

The decree signed by Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs Giorgi Mgebrishvili has already come into effect ahead of Georgia’s October 8 Parliamentary Elections.

Mgebrishvili stressed that special responsible groups, composed of the heads of police divisions, would be formed in all Georgian regions.

Each of the groups will be responsible for carrying out permanent evaluations of possible threats and risks and plan relevant response actions during the pre-election, election and post-election periods in their areas of jurisdiction.

They will also be responsible for timely responding to any election-related wrongdoings.

The decree said policemen throughout Georgia will be re-trained over their obligations on the Election Day and on how they must act to all those taking part in the election process.

The role of the police is essential in any country.

Some violent incidents during by-elections several months ago revealed that the Ministry of Internal Affairs should have been better prepared for some confrontations in order to prevent them.

After the by-election stir several months ago in Georgia’s western Samegrelo region, certain leading politicians from the ruling team stated that the provocation had been staged by the opposition United National Movement.

When something bad happens and the state’s image as a whole is damaged, it no longer matters who was behind the incident.

The Government and police exist to prevent incidents that may have a negative influence on the state’s development.