Wrangle over voters’ lists
December 25th, 2007 by jibs
Say in your country, 4 years ago elections took place and there were 5 million people registered to vote. Four years later, the voters’ lists show that there are 7 million people eligible to vote. This takes place on the background of negative population growth.
In Georgia, 4 years ago there were 2.4 million people who could vote, and now there are 3.4 million. The opposition claims the government is gearing 
up for falsification. The authorities respond that the list has swelled because unlike 4 years ago, the Georgians living abroad have been added in.
There are a few odd moments though. The members of the opposition went to check some of the people included in the voters’ list and discovered not only hundreds of deceased persons, but also buildings that house them.
First: say a pensioner died, and somehow the bureaucracy failed to note this. Who claims his pension since he is officially alive? Why are there hundreds of such known cases?
Second, if the building don’t physically exist, how was it that some voters are registered there? It means, if those non-existing houses are listed in the administrative chronicles, then those residents should be paying taxes, the house normally has to be maintained, repaired and sustained (presumably) by the local municipality. Where is that money then?
Another moment: why is it so hard to clarify how many people live in Georgia? The CEC is a permanent body and all it should be doing before the elections is precisely to make sure that the voters’ lists are updated.
Given the nature of these “mistakes”, there is a reason to fear a foul play. The opposition does have something to shout about. But when they do this, the authorities accuse them of preparing the society for fresh protests following their defeat. And so it goes round and round…
In the meantime, every Georgian is promised mountains of gold in exchange for a vote, plots are uncovered, enemies warned, territorial conflicts practically resolved, NATO is almost joined — all on the background of beaconing democracy.
Onnik Krikorian Says
When was the last census held in Georgia? Armenia had its last one in 2001 although the results were disputed i.e. those abroad, especially Armenians working in Russia, were still counted as they were registered at an address here. Of course, they are still citizens even if absent, but as some — including whole families — had been gone for 10 years or even more, it raised a whole host of issues. Anyway, it’s interesting to know when was the last census undertaken in Georgia, and if not recently, when will the next be held.
Dec 29th, 2007 at 7:45 am