The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia has released a statement in response to claims made by a media outlet regarding the potential biases of election administration employees based on their family ties or acquaintances.
The commission argues that TV Pirveli is engaging in a campaign to discredit its staff deliberately. On September 28, the Nodar Meladze’s Saturday program aired a report suggesting that the relationships of several election employees compromised their impartiality.
The CEC emphasized that it had directed representatives from the TV network to adhere to journalistic ethics and seek information through official channels. However, the network opted for unethical methods to acquire personal information about the employees. Furthermore, the CEC’s preventive statement regarding the report was mistakenly interpreted by the network as a threat to terminate cooperation or revoke accreditation, which the CEC denies. This is contradicted by the subsequent appearances of the CEC Chairman and other officials on TV Pirveli.
The CEC identified various factual inaccuracies in the report, including erroneous details about employment dates, positions, and departures of election administration employees. The report allegedly misrepresents the background and activities of individuals connected to these employees, manipulating information to suggest partisan bias.
“This is not the first instance of TV Pirveli obtaining data unethically and distorting the facts. We reiterate that family ties or personal relationships should not be used as metrics for assessing the actions of election administration staff,” the statement asserts.
The CEC maintains that personnel decisions are guided by legal norms that do not consider familial or other personal connections.
While family members of political affiliates or state employees may work in the agency, the CEC emphasizes that professionalism, not personal relationships, determines employee evaluations. The Election Administration Code of Ethics mandates impartiality and political neutrality among its staff, principles upheld by the mentioned employees.
Given these circumstances, the CEC believes the report aims to exert pressure on its employees and undermine public trust in the agency.
The CEC calls on all parties involved in the election process, including local and international observers, to vigilantly monitor biased campaigns that detract from the integrity of the electoral process.
“The election administration will continue to advocate for the legal interests of its employees and address any violations of these rights as stipulated by law,” the statement concludes.
