Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has released the media review ahead of the self-government elections. The organization finds that media plays a crucial role in the pre-election period, because the very media informs voters. In the assessment of media environment the organization has identified several important trends. For the full text. Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Charter of Journalistic Ethics and the Slovakian CSO Memo–98 have released interim media monitoring results. The organizations are observing 2 public broadcasters (the Public Broadcaster of Georgia and the Adjara TV), as well as TV companies "Imedi", "Kavkasia", "Maestro", "Rustavi 2", "Tabula", Adjara 25th Channel, Gurjaani and KvemoKartli TV companies, "Odishi", "Rioni", "Trialeti". Monitoring aims to evaluate the degree of impartiality and balance of media coverage of candidates and their election agendas ahead of the elections. For the full text. Source: qartia.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Media Center of CSOs starts operating for the local self-government elections. CSOs will inform media about their observation results on the polling day and during the post-election period. Media Center will host the briefings of representatives of: Young Lawyers' Association, ISFED, Transparency International – Georgia, Development and Democracy Center, Human Rights Center, Multiethnic Georgia and the Public Defender. Media Center will operate with support of the Open Society – Georgia Foundation. For the full information on briefings (geo) Source: www.media.ge

Tbilisi. CSOs have released the pre-election media monitoring report drafted as part of the EU and UNDP funded project "Professional Media for Elections". The study covers the period of 15 April - 23 May. For the full text. Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. ISFED released the video "What is parallel vote tabulation?". The organization informs interested persons about the essence of parallel vote tabulation and the advantages that this election observation methodology has.At the self-government elections the organization will apply the parallel vote tabulation methodology. Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association publicized the second preliminary report of the pre-election observation. The organization observes the pre-election period through the regional offices in nine (9) regions of Georgia: Adjara, Guria, Imereti, Shida Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Samegrelo and in Tbilisi. The present report covers the period from May 1 to June 10. The report  Source: gyla.ge

Adjara. At the initiative of the Adjara-based CSOs and newspaper Batumelebi, the Memorandum was executed with the Batumi Mayor nominees on June 10 in the Batumi Arts Teaching University, under which the nominees undertook an obligation to preserve and protect Batumi's cultural heritage. The Memorandum provides for an update of historic-cultural back-up plan, creation of the protection zone, as well as protection of monuments within this zone and participation of public sector in the key decision-making process.

Tbilisi. on June 10 , the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) conducted a simulation of the Election Day monitoring methodology - Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT). PVT is an advanced monitoring methodology for evaluating the quality of the Election Day process.  simulation is part of ISFED’s pre-election preparations, aiming at testing five major components of the PVT system: 1. It tests the network connections; 2. It tests the observers’ understanding how to report; 3. It tests the receipt of SMS messages into the database; 4. It tests that all reports are complete; and 5. It tests the quality of the data using a sophisticated database.  The simulation allows ISFED to identify the potential problems and then make any necessary corrections prior to the Election Day. The simulation is one of many quality control checks that ISFED implements to ensure the highest quality PVT. For the full text Source: isfed.ge

Tbilisi. ISFED continues releasing videos aimed at informing the public about self-government elections. The organization has released new video: "Giving citizens money ahead of elections is prohibited!" The video. Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The working group on women's political participation has released a petition, expressing concern over the status of women's rights and gender inequality in the country. For the full text. Source: ginsc.net

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia released a statement - "Akmamed Imamkuliyev, Marneuli Gamgebeli candidate, should have registration restored”. "The Marneuli District Electoral Commission (DEC) annulled the registration of Akmamed Imamkuliyev, the United National Movement’s candidate for the office of the head of municipal administration – gamgeoba, on 5 June.Earlier, verbal confrontation occurred between between the party’s and the DEC’s representatives, which was assessed negatively by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) and nongovernmental organizations". TI Georgia published an analysis of the reasons for the annulment of the candidate’s registration, as well as our view of this matter. For the full text Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The observers' trainings of the Election Environment Development Center were concluded on June 6. Over 100 long-term as well as short-term observers have undergone the trainings.Trainings were delivered by using modern technical equipment and applying internationally tested learning interactive methods. The Center's trainers have led the trainings. Observers have got familiar in details with their role in the electoral process, rights of the observers, the activities of the Precinct Election Commission on the polling day, complaint-related issues, etc. Instructional film "Polling Day Procedures" was shown at the training. Source: the Election Environment Development Center.

Tbilisi. On June 6, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy published third interim report of monitoring the June 15, 2014 local self-government elections. The report covers the period from May 11 through June 1. For the full text Source: emc.org.ge

Kakheti. The Center for Development and Democracy (CDD) has organized an event-concert yesterday in the Telavi State University titled "We go to elections! You come as well!".The project aims to inform young voters about electoral processes and raise their civil self-awareness. A model polling day was also organized as part of the event-concert.

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia and International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy released a statement. "We would like to react to recent developments that are directly linked to electoral processes. Firstly, we welcome Vice Prime Minister Kakha Kaladze's initiative on the annulment of minimum mandatory number of candidates on election lists and the CEC's resolution, pursuant to which, if a party list of an election entity includes candidates less than the statutory minimum number, a party list will be annulled only in certain exceptions. ...Another problematic issue ahead of elections relates to developments in Marneuli, and in particular the decision of the District Election Commission on potential deregistration of Akmamed Imamkuliev, candidate of the United National Movement to the office of Gamgebeli (local governor), for failure to meet the country residence criterion". For the full text Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. CSO "Multilingual Georgia" has released a statement."Chairman of the Marneuli District Election Commission Iakob Asanidze has notified the headquarters of the United National Movement that the candidature of the Marneuli Municipality Gamgebeli nominee Akmamed Imamkuliev was deregistered from the election list. ... The organization views this fact as pressure on the candidate." For the full text. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia released a blog post - "Zugdidi Mayoral and district governor candidates’ background and property ownership". For the full text Source: transparency.ge 

Tbilisi. The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy continues releasing social videos. This time the organization has released the video - "When is the second round of elections to be held?". The video. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Shida Kartli. The Gori Office of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) School has hosted a meeting on June 3 with participation of CSOs, media representatives, and four Gori Mayor nominees. The meeting was organized at NIMD's initiative.The event was dedicated to presentation of the web page - www.partiebi.ge, which aims, on one hand, to generate political proposals by election entities and express opinions on them, and on the other hand, for the candidates to provide answers to questions of interest to voters.

Kakheti. CSO "Civil Development Institute" has organized a meeting on June 4 in the Telavi Media Cafe.As part of the project "Informed Youth Electorate", students and interested youngsters have met with the Telavi Mayor nominees. Youngsters have focused on the current problems in the city.

Tbilisi. The "Young Barristers” demand removal of head of Kobuleti City Council from June 15th 2014 local self-government elections – Elguja Bagrationi. "The implemented monitoring revealed that the head of Kobuleti City Council Elguja Bagrationi had participated in a criminal act. ...According to the "Young Barristers”, not only must the candidate of Elguja Bagrationi be removed from the elections, but grounds of his impeachment from a position of head of Kobuleti City Council exist as well", says the statement. For the full text Source: barristers.ge

Adjara. At the initiative of the youth CSO "Changes for Equal Rights", persons with disabilities have met with the majority of the Batumi Mayor nominees on June 4 in the Public Defender's office.At the meeting the Mayor nominees have presented their visions on the resolution of problematic issues associated with persons with disabilities Batumi-wide. In addition, they have expressed the desire and willingness to organize periodic meetings with the organizers of this event and organizations working on persons with disabilities.