ISFED has learned that free food is distributed from a booth outside the office of the electoral subject, ‘Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, Irma Inashvili, Alliance of Patriots of Georgia, United Opposition’, located at 2 Dzmebi Kakabadzeebi Str.

To verify the report of possible vote buying, ISFED long-term observer arrived at the scene on August 21, at 12:00, and interviewed bystanders who stated that anyone can receive free food distributed by the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia two times a day. 

ISFED observer also confirmed that with the free food individual citizens also receive printed campaign martials of the party. 

ISFED observer tried to interview people that were handing out the free food but they refused to answer any questions and forced the observer out of the territory with their aggressive tone. 

 

Providing free food to the socially vulnerable and any other type of charity work carried out by or in favor of an electoral subject is prohibited and punishable under the election legislation and the Criminal Code of Georgia. 

ISFED believes that acts of vote buying and using the socially vulnerable to advance electoral goals puts healthy electoral environment at risk and calls for an immediate reaction by relevant authorities. 

We urge the State Audit Office of Georgia and Georgian Prosecution Service to examine the evidence of vote buying submitted by ISFED and take adequate further actions.