At this point, the 2014 local self-government elections are taking place in a safe environment. The polling stations that we are monitoring opened on time, around 8:00am. Transparency International (TI) Georgia’s observers have reported 6 minor and 11 relatively significant procedural violations. At this point, our monitors have submitted 5 complaints in total. Most violations were observed in Zugdidi and Martvili districts.

Some of the significant violations observed by our monitors are described below:

• Voting was disrupted at polling station #32 in Zugdidi district due to violence by unidentified individuals,
• Despite the fact that the marking identifier did not work in polling station #20 (Tamakoni) of the Martvili district, the voting process continued for several hours;
• At four polling stations - #26 and #64 in Zugdidi and #11 and #27 in Martvili, two representatives from the same party/coalition were present at polling stations (Georgian Dream, United National Movement and Non-Parliamentary Opposition) although they are only allowed to have one single representative at each polling station.
• Personal information on 10 voters out of the 14 registered on the mobile ballot box voters list in Isani district polling station #14 was incorrect and these citizens were denied the right to vote. After the mobile box was returned to the polling station, the Precinct Election Commission (PEC), upon consulting with the District Election Commission (DEC), corrected information about the voters and decided to allow them to vote.
• At Didube district polling station #31 the initial procedures - which were supposed be conducted from 7 to 8am (assigning roles to PEC members) - took place earlier than 7am. As a result, TI Georgia’s observers could not monitor the procedures.
• The candidates and party lists were not posted at Khoni district polling stations #1 and #4.

We welcome the fact that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has already reacted and launched investigation into to the reported theft of ballots from the Martvili district polling station #16, as well as the alleged case of violence on UNM representatives.

TI Georgia has deployed 450 observers to monitor the 2014 June 15 local self-government elections. Our stationary observers are assigned to 373 polling stations randomly selected in Tbilisi in all the 10 electoral districts of Tbilisi. In addition, TI Georgia has 15 mobile groups observing elections in Tbilisi. We also have 25 mobile teams monitoring elections in 29 municipalities and self-governing cities throughout 5 regions. The Civil Development Agency (CiDA) is assisting TI Georgia in Kvemo Kartli districts.

TI Georgia will release its observations for the election day developments twice during the day: at 4 and 8pm.