Georgian opposition leader Dekanoidze calls for international investigation over “controversial” election technology

Georgian opposition leader Khatia Dekanoidze on Monday criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party’s assurance over the reliability of the technology used in Saturday’s parliamentary elections, calling for an international investigation into the firm “Smartmatic”.

In her social media post, Dekanoidze alleged that the company, which introduced electronic elections in Georgia, has a checkered history, citing past controversies involving its founders.

Dekanoidze highlighted recent legal challenges faced by Smartmatic, mentioning that in August 2024, Venezuelan nationals Alejandro Martinez and Miguel Vasquez, founders of two companies associated with Smartmatic, were detained in Florida on federal charges.

The arrests, she claimed, were linked to a $1 million bribe allegedly paid to Juan Bautista, the chairman of the Philippines’ Central Election Commission, in a case that dates back to between 2015 and 2017.

Furthermore, Dekanoidze claimed US media reports have revealed that Smartmatic twice licensed its technology to the Maduro regime in Venezuela, reportedly enabling election manipulation in 2017 and 2018. The 2018 elections, she alleged, were later confirmed by Smartmatic to have used its technology.