Civil Sector Claims Gov’t Ordered Fake IDs for Rigging Elections
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, November 22
Thee major non-governmental organizations based in Georgia, the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, Transparency International-Georgia and International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy alleged that Georgia’s Public Service Development Agency is printing fake ID documents to forge the presidential election runoff in favor of Salome Zourabichvili, a presidential candidate supported by the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party.
“An employee of the Public Service Development Agency informed us that the Agency is allegedly producing fake identification cards. According to this employee, fake ID cards are being printed with the purpose of rigging the second round of the presidential elections in favor of Zourabichvili, and the Agency’s high-ranking officials are supervising the process,” the NGOs stressed.
The organizations added that according to their source, it was decided to print fake IDs after the first round of the elections. The source said that Soso Giorgadze, chairman of the Public Service Development Agency, and Bezhan Obgaidze, head of the Internal Audit Service of the Agency, are in charge of the process.
“According to the plan, five IDs are to be printed per person, indicating different last names, first names, and personal numbers but the same photo of that one person. The information about that person would appear in the voter rolls of several polling stations, making it possible for one person to vote at several polling stations with different ID cards,” the NGOs stressed.
Civil sector reminds that forging documents and rigging elections are criminal offenses, adding such actions can irreparably damage the election environment and challenge the legitimacy of the elections.
The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia launched a probe in relation to the statement made by NGOs.
The POG says all the persons related to the above-mentioned will be questioned in the nearest future.
“The offense is envisaged by Article 362 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.
All necessary investigative and procedural actions will be conducted to ensure the establishment of truth and thorough investigation,” the agency said.
The State Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia calls the statement made by NGOs on falsification of ID cards irresponsible.
As Soso Giorgadze, Chairman of the Public Service Development Agency stated at a press conference, the NGOs’ statement is a lie.
Giorgadze said he has already addressed the General Inspection of the Ministry of Justice with the request to investigate the case.
“I declare with full responsibility that the allegations made by them have nothing common with the truth," he noted, expressing hope that after investigation establishes the truth, representatives of NGOs will apologize.
The second round of the presidential elections will be held on November 28.
