In response to the October 30 statement published by the Prosecutor’s Office, which states that Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has been summoned for questioning within the framework of an investigation into election fraud, the President held an emergency briefing.
The President’s briefing began with a several-minute video clip showing various violations recorded on the election day.
The President indicates that her summoning by the Prosecutor’s Office does not conform to standard practice, as the Prosecutor’s Office should have initiated an investigation based on materials provided by eyewitnesses and observer organizations, rather than demanding evidence from the President.
The Prosecutor’s statement “strangely coincides with Medvedev’s issued directives,” states the President.
Unofficial translation of the briefing, shortened:
“Greetings everyone – here are the direct footage and such footage you’ve all seen, many are being distributed from all sides. These are footages that need neither explanation nor interpretation. It directly shows what happened and how the October 26 elections were conducted.
Evidence, gentlemen, apparently the Prosecutor’s Office is waiting for from me. I thought, generally, that it was the opposite – investigative bodies should gather evidence themselves. You know this too, right?! This is how it happens in any normal country, and I haven’t heard of, honestly, any such precedent, I don’t know of any investigative body asking a president for evidence regarding elections.
The Prosecutor’s Office, even more strangely, is asking the President for evidence based on CEC’s concerns. Apparently, the CEC is offended because its ‘discreditation’ is ongoing. Why this is discreditation – I don’t know. These are facts, everyone knows, they’re widespread, and generally, the investigative body, the Prosecutor’s Office should start investigating because violations occurred and everyone noticed them that day and much more afterward – practically all citizens are involved in collecting this evidence, observer missions, NGOs – enormous material already exists and CEC’s discreditation might only follow the confirmation of these facts, the confirmation of these systemic violations and fraud, which is exactly what the Prosecutor’s Office or international investigation is responsible for.
Material collected from people and organizations, which apparently the Prosecutor’s Office hasn’t even reviewed, proves that during the October 26 elections, there was diverse, large-scale fraud that encompassed practically every known or unknown, every possible method and form of falsification.
And this was just listed by Joseph Borrell – voter bribery, intimidation, violence, confiscation and multiplication of ID cards, carousel voting, and most importantly, what GYLA recently revealed – is the massive violation of vote secrecy through the electronic system because of those thin papers, about which, by the way, GYLA had already submitted this observation before the elections and CEC should have changed these papers which it didn’t do, and probably CEC should have been summoned for this too – I don’t know, this is not my {mandate}.
There are also very serious violations, most serious, the diaspora was directly restricted from exercising their constitutional right in elections, when we have more than 1 million emigrants, when there was a very high demand for opening polling stations.
You are accountable – I’m now addressing the Prosecutor’s Office – to the people, society demands immediate investigation from you and not my evidence, and no one expects from the Prosecutor’s Office today in such a situation to start some clearly political processes against the President, which by the way, this political something, I don’t know what to call it, strangely coincides with Medvedev’s issued directives, I don’t know who is following them and who isn’t.
At the CEC today at this moment, but there will be much more, more than eleven hundred complaints have been submitted, demands for nullification of results, directly concerning 246 precincts which at this stage affects somewhere around 400 thousand voters – so it directly shows that this could have a very serious effect on the election results themselves.
And most importantly that the issue of systemic violation of vote secrecy has been raised, as a result of which the demand for nullification of results from 2,263 precincts might arise. So, I would advise the Prosecutor’s Office that it’s better to get to its work and abandon political retaliation against the President, which by the way at this moment when it’s necessary and our partners are watching to see if finally the Prosecutor’s Office can be independent and impartial – this raises even more questions. So let the Prosecutor’s Office attend to its work, and the President will attend to hers.
I want to tell society that in many ways this appears to be an attempt to add some tension, some fears, even towards me, to the frustration that society is clearly experiencing today because it sees at what level these votes were taken away, and for this I am grateful – I received many messages today from different directions saying don’t be afraid – I’m not afraid, you shouldn’t be afraid either, everything will be calm, peaceful and the real results of these elections must be looked into. Thank you very much everyone.”
According to circulated information, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili does not plan to appear at the Prosecutor’s Office.
