“Some employees of the election administration are pressured,” said Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairman of the Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) at the briefing.

According to the CEC Chair, some of the administration employees received phone messages calling them to refuse participation in the organization of elections and make public statements on this issue.

“We state that similar pressure on our staff is categorically unacceptable when they make efforts to hold the upcoming elections on a high professional level. We will defend their interests and apply all judicial mechanisms to ensure the lawful protection of their rights. The addresses of the notifications will continue to work together with the rest of the team, and similar pressure will not obstruct the institution’s functioning,” Kalandarishvili stated.

The CEC chair went on to say that similar facts often took place before with the attempts to bribe the CEC employees, menace them or threaten them with other methods.

However, Kalandarishvili underscored: “Despite destructive attempts, the election administration will conduct its activities high-professionally in full compliance with the legislation and hold the elections in line with international standards.”