Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chair of the Central Election Commission (CEC), addressed concerns over increasing pressure on election administration staff and the unlawful handling of their personal data.

In a recent briefing, Kalandarishvili highlighted that these issues are becoming more severe as the October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections approach. Kalandarishvili disclosed that a representative from TV Pirveli has been attempting to illegally access personal information about election administration employees.

“Despite the election administration’s openness to cooperation with all parties, including the media, there seems to be no legitimate reason for processing this information, especially as the administration has not been queried or requested any data from them. The processing lacks legal justification and legitimate purpose, particularly concerning family ties and the employment of relatives.

The nature of the questions posed by this media outlet to election staff or their family members appears to serve no public interest other than attempting to link election administration employees to the ruling party and presenting their activities in a biased manner.

This could harm the reputation of the election administration, hinder the modernization of elections, and damage the electoral environment. We want to emphasize that family ties or the activities of relatives should not be used as criteria for evaluating the performance of election administration employees.

Election officials perform their duties according to the law and with integrity. Their work should be assessed based on their actions, not those of their relatives,” Kalandarishvili said.

Kalandarishvili reiterated the CEC’s commitment to conducting elections professionally and transparently. He also warned that any media outlet violating legal or ethical standards in their interactions with election administration representatives might face a reassessment of their cooperation with the CEC.