July 25, 2014, Tbilisi – The report presents the findings of the parallel tracking and monitoring of four electoral subject/political parties’ certain expenses in the run-up to the 2014 local self-government elections.

1. Research scope

Tbilisi

• #1 Kakha Kukava (Non-parliamentary opposition (Kakha Kukava, Fiqria Chikhradze));
• #3 Dimitri Lordkipanidze (Nino Burjanadze – United Opposition);
• #5 Nikanor Melia (United National Movement);
• #41 David Narmania (Georgian Dream).

Gori

• #1 Vasil Butkhuzi (Non-parliamentary opposition (Kakha Kukava, Fiqria Chikhradze));
• #3 Mamuka Nozadze (Nino Burjanadze – United Opposition);
• #5 Archil Sabiashvili (United National Movement);
• #41 Zurab Jirkvelishvili (Georgian Dream).

2. Findings of the report

Transparency International Georgia has calculated the estimate expenses (monitoring period - May 1 till June 14) of the aforementioned candidates in their electoral campaigns most costly category (paid television commercials and outdoor advertisements). As our monitoring findings have shown, only the United National Movement (UNM) and Georgian Dream (GD) candidates could afford the following type of expenses.

United National Movement

• According to TIG’s calculations, the UNM mayoral candidates for Tbilisi and Gori should have spent around GEL 521 000 for their paid television commercials;
• The figures presented in the UNM’s financial statements for electoral campaign expenses, however, indicate GEL 196 328 for this activity. This mismatch in the figures was presumably due to a technical error. According to the UNM, certain expenses were not reflected due to unverified information at the time of their submitting their financial declaration to the state audit office. In spite of this clarification, we urge the state audit office to look into this case and determine the cause of the mismatch.
• As far as outdoor advertisements are concerned, our calculations show that in the reporting period the UNM should have spent around GEL 160 000 for billboard advertisements.

Georgian Dream

• According to our calculations, Tbilisi and Gori mayoral candidates from the Georgian Dream should have spent around GEL 249 000 on paid television advertisements and GEL 228 000 – on billboard advertisements.

Transparency International Georgia plans to conduct similar monitoring in the future elections based on the findings and experience of this report.

The report is made possible by the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of TI Georgia and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), USAID or the United States Government.