Voters list: additional questions

The Central Election commission published the figures naming the number of voters in Georgia 3, 621, 256. The figure immediately caused dissatisfaction among many analysts. It was expected that after the work of a special commission, the overall number of voters would decrease. These findings create an atmosphere of distrust going forward as the elections approach; this is especially true as it relates to those in the opposition camp.

One should remember that Rose Revolution took place in Georgia in 2003. Then, the opposition United National Movement accused the ruling regime of manipulating the elections in November 2003. So this time, another precondition exists for manipulating the results of the elections. Revealing the exact number of voters was the categorical demand of the opposition parties. For the same reason it was demanding the introduction of biometric identity cards, a special elections list commission was created headed by New Right member Mamuka Katsitadze. The commission conducted 8 months of work and submitted the final list which caused the frustration of many opposition forces. Nobody doubts– even among officials, that around 1 million from the Georgian population emigrated from the country. Simple mathematics shows that if 75% of the entire population is around 3.6 million, altogether the Georgian population inside the country should be 4.8 million. These figures are not convincing for most of the opposition representatives. In addition, there are the results of different period’s census carried out in Georgia. For instance, in 2003 the research showed that the Georgian population was 3.9 million and since then, the tendency is that more people have left Georgia.

Many independent analysts suggest that in reality the number of voters in Georgia is hardly over 3 million. Therefore concern about the elections increases. Some observers suggest that the situation creates a very dangerous reality, as it shows that is the possibility that the elections will be rigged and this will create grounds for very dramatic developments. Some analysts observe that major events in Georgia will not take place during the elections but rather after the elections which probably means possible civil unrest.