NGO Says Participation of Zourabichvili’s Son in Election Campaign Is Violation
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, November 23
Georgia-based non-governmental organization Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) alleges that the proposal of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) backed presidential candidate Salome Zourabichvili’s son Teimuraz Gorjetsan to Nodar Vashadze, the son of the United Opposition candidate Grigol Vashadze, to hold debates, is the violation of the election code of Georgia.
GYLA lawyer Lela Taliuri explains that the persons who do not have Georgian citizenship do not have the right to participate in the pre-election campaign. In this case, Zourabichvili’s son is the citizen of France, so he has no right to participate in the election campaign.
“The law prohibits the involvement of the persons who do not have Georgian citizenship in the election process. If a person is not a citizen of Georgia and is involved in the campaign, it is a violation of the requirements of the electoral legislation," Taliuri said and added that the legislation does not provide for an exception for members of an electoral entity.
Two days ago, Teimuraz Gorjestani, has invited presidential candidate Grigol Vashadze’s son to debates.
Teimuraz Gorjentan said at the meeting with students that he was interested where Nodar Vashadze was during the election campaign.
Gorjestani noted he arrived from London to participate in the pre-election campaign, adding his sister Ketevan, is also about to arrive from Paris, where she lives.
“Where is Nodar Vashadze? We appear on TV, answer the questions in order the voters to meet us and to get to know who Zourabichvili’s family is…I am interested who Grigol Vashadze’s elder son is. If he agrees, if he arrives, if he knows Georgian, I am ready to invite him to debates,” Teimuraz Gorjestani stressed.
Vashadze’s son has not responded yet.
