Ruling party calls on international monitors to disregard “false claims” about ID cards ahead of elections

Givi Mikanadze, a member of the parliamentary majority, on Friday called on international monitoring organizations to ignore what he termed “false information” regarding the confiscation of voters’ identity cards. During a briefing, Mikanadze condemned an alleged disinformation campaign by opposition parties and certain media outlets as election day approaches, urging monitors to assess the situation independently.

Mikanadze specifically addressed recent claims made by opposition representative Tamar Kordzaia, who alleged that members of the ruling party, Georgian Dream, had taken identity cards from 22 elderly residents and nine staff members at a nursing home in Tsnori, eastern Georgia. He labeled this accusation as a “blatant lie”, emphasizing the “lack of evidence” provided by Kordzaia.

“Such campaigns of misinformation are characteristic of radicals,” Mikanadze said, recalling “similar tactics” during the 2020 elections that were “later proven unfounded”.

He also criticized local monitoring organizations for not maintaining their neutrality and claimed they were complicit in spreading disinformation. He referred to a report aired by TV channel Mtavari, asserting that it aimed to manipulate the situation in Rustavi by misrepresenting events involving city employees.

Additionally, Mikanadze pointed to the actions of the Anti-Corruption Commission Bureau and the Communications Commission regarding political advertisements, alleging that some local NGOs, including representatives from Transparency International andVote for Europe, have engaged in political activities, thereby “compromising their impartiality”.

He concluded by urging donors of local organizations to acknowledge their role in “disseminating misinformation and to respond appropriately”, reiterating the need for international monitors to “evaluate the lies propagated by the opposition”.