Tbilisi. The Gender Equality Network has organized a meeting on October 21 between the presidential nominees and the civil society representatives. 12 presidential nominees and their representatives, as well as the civil society representatives from Tbilisi and regions have attended the meeting. The meeting aimed at informing the civil society representatives from Tbilisi and various regions of Georgia about the presidential nominees' vision on gender equality, women's rights and the issues of women participation in politics. The meeting was held as part of the project "Gender Equality in Political Processes". Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. October 21, the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics held the presentation of the Second preliminary report on media coverage of the 27 October presidential election. the second preliminary report that includes the main monitoring findings covering three weeks of the official campaign period (16 September – 10 October). This project is conducted in cooperation with the Slovak media-monitoring organization MEMO 98 and with the support of the Open Society Foundation Georgia (OSFG). Report Source:qartia.org.ge

Tbilisi. A group of trainers of "New Generation – New Initiative" has delivered a training on October 20 on elections for the organization's short-term observers. Meeting participants have discussed in detail the polling day procedures. Observers of the Tbilisi Districts were thoroughly informed about the organization's principles, their powers and the "Observer's Code of Behavior" developed by the organization. The project is implemented with financial support of the "MATRA" Program of the Dutch Embassy. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Kakheti. The Coalition for "Independent Life" and the Central Election Commission have organized an information meeting for students in the IakobGogebashvili State University of Telavi. According to the representative of CSO "For Independent Life" RatiIonatamishvili, involving students in the electoral processes is crucial: "Model elections were organized at the meeting, which aims to provide maximum information to students on the polling procedures".

Tbilisi. With support from the CEC, the Coalition for Independent Life has organized an informative-educational seminar for students in the Tbilisi State Medical University. Topic of the meeting was the "Role and initiatives of students in securing equal elections". Model electoral processes were staged at the meeting. Source: Coalition's page in the social network.

Adjara. The Independent Journalists' House has organized a discussion on October 16 in the Batumi Press Cafe on the "Vision of Young Wings of Presidential Candidates on the Expected Changes in the Georgian Education System". Speakers were the young representatives of presidential nominees, who have presented the presidential nominees' pre-election agendas in respect of the education system. Youngsters and CSO and media representatives have attended the meeting. A cycle of these discussions is implemented as part of the project "Promotion of Democratic Ideas among the Youth". The project is implemented with the support of the "National Endowment for Democracy" (NED).

Kakheti. CSO "Center for Development and Democracy" has shown in the Telavi Civic Engagement Center the film produced by the CEC for the elections. Meeting participants were informed about the amendments made to the Election Code and the polling day procedures.

Tbilisi. The Election Media Center will be launched from October22, through which CSOs will provide journalist with the results of monitoring over electoral processes in a permanent regime. Any interested journalist can work in the Media Center. Making live broadcasts will be also possible. Address of the Media Center: 34/36 Kobuleti Str., 4th Floor. Source: osgf.ge

Tbilisi. On October 15, 2013 representatives of the Media Advocacy Coalition and the Coalition for Freedom of Choice met with CEC chairman and submitted alternative recommendations worked out by NGOs for regulation of photo-video recording at polling stations on the election day.  On September 24, 2012 the Central Election Commission adopted resolution determining the rule of photo-video recording at the polling stations on the election day. For full text Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center has published the blog post of Koka Kighuradze and Nino Sukhishvili on the gaps of the Georgian electoral system and recommendations. "Experience from recent years illustrates that often in respect to essential issues the government does not take into account the recommendations of international and local non-governmental organizations, which in a way indicates the lack of the state's will to reform an electoral system in view of active involvement of the civil society and political parties. However, in the recent period there is a pleasant tendency and political will that issues related to an electoral system become a subject of wider discussions and are revised substantially", says the blog post. For the full text (geo) Source: emcrights.wordpress.com

Tbilisi. Human Rights Center, Public Advocacy, Media Institute and Human Rights Priority released a statement about the Allocation Time for Free Advertisements on Qualified Election Subjects. "We believe that Public Broadcaster and private TV-Companies shall recognize those presidential candidates to be qualified election subjects, who had gained support of at least 4 percent of interviewed voters, in at least five polls carried out during the election year (in this particular case 2013) or in one poll conducted a month before the Election Day", says the statement. For full text Source:humanrights.ge

Tbilisi. On October 15, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy held a presentation of Election Day Monitoring Mission at the Hotel Courtyard Marriot. During the presentation Executive Director of ISFED provided an overview of Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) traditionally used by ISFED for the Election Day Monitoring.   ISFED will carry out the monitoring of October 27, 2013 Presidential Elections by means of up to 1000 precinct observers, 73 district observers and 73 mobile groups.  For full text Source:isfed.ge

Imereti. The Coalition for Independent Life has held an information-educational seminar on October 9 in Kutaisi for students on the "Role and initiatives of students for securing equal elections". The film "Polling Day Procedures" produced by the LEPL Center of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Training was shown at the meeting, and the model elections were also organized. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. CSO "Civic Engagement Institute" administers the "Presidential Elections Portal", which aims at informing the voters about presidential elections. Public will be able to get familiar with the biographies and agendas of registered presidential nominees. Further, citizens can assess and express opinions on the presidential nominees and their election agendas. "Presidential Elections Portal". Source: Civic Engagement Institute.

Adjara. CSO "For the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" has held a meeting on October10 in the Civic Engagement Center, at which the participation of persons with disabilities in the upcoming elections was discussed. As reported, in the future persons with disabilities may be able to vote online. According to CSO representatives, the electronic method of participation in elections is simple and will boost the electoral activity. They claim that due to non-adopted environment at the election precincts, persons with disabilities often prefer not going to the election precincts. Local CSO representatives support this initiative and believe that the government must take certain steps to eliminate this problem.

Samegrelo. The Estonian Ambassador to Georgia Mr. Priit Turk has visited the Zugdidi Office of "Transparency International – Georgia". The Ambassador was interested in the pre-election environment in Zugdidi, as well as the issues of partnership between the local self-government authorities and CSOs. The organization has informed the Ambassador about the developments in Zugdidi during the pre-election period, as well as the results of meetings with the local population. The Ambassador has emphasized the need to hold the pre-election period and the polling day in the peaceful environment, and stated he intends to visit Zugdidi again after the presidential elections. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. As of today, the page of the School of Liberalism offers the agendas and priorities of Giorgi Margvelashvili, Mikheil Gela Saluashvili, Giorgi Targamadze, Giorgi Liluashvili, SergoJavakhadze, NugzarAvaliani and MamukaChokhonelidze. For the full text (geo). Source: the School's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, Transparency International Georgia and the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association have released videos which aim to educate the citizens in election issues. Source:the organization's page in the social network

Kakheti. CSO "Public Council" has launched the pre-election discussions. According to the organization's representative JumberSakhiashvili, to make the civil society active they often organize meetings with the representatives of as non-government, as well as governmental organizations. "Because there is a pre-election period currently, we planned meetings with representatives of political parties running in the elections. We will meet with all of them and listen to their vision on the development of Telavi and solution of current problems." On October 7 the "Public Council" has organized a meeting in the Telavi Civic Engagement Center with representatives of the Telavi Office of Georgian Dream, attended by NGO representatives, journalists and interested persons.

Tbilisi. The training of the Ilia State University and the ALPE Foundation "Successful Elections - Sustainable Democracy" was organized in the Tbilisi Youth Center. Non-Georgian language students of higher education institutions, students of various higher education institutions and members of the Tbilisi Center have participated in the training organized in the format of the program of the Center of Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Training of the Central Election Commission. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) has presented the study "Procedure for Electing the Parliament of Georgia - Analysis of the Election System and Recommendations". The organization has presented to the public its vision and recommendations on reforming the election system of the Parliament of Georgia. The study covers the Parliament's election system and it examines the classic definitions of election systems, current procedure for electing the Parliament of Georgia, recommendations of international and local NGOs, challenges of the Georgian election system and the overview of relevant election systems. The study includes the organization's recommendations on the optimal model of the election system. Representatives of international and local NGOs, political parties, election administration and academic circles have attended the presentation. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy and the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association have released the video – "Civil servants have no right of campaigning during the business hours". The video aims to educate the citizens in election issues. Source: the organization's page in the social network.