The Election Administration (EA) of Georgia is responding to the alleged attempt of pressure towards its staff members and use of their personal data in contradiction with law.

“As it seems, the campaign that aims at discrediting the EA as well as its staff members is moving to the new phase – unethical attempts of dishonestly obtaining and using their personal information are identified, including attempts of intervention in the EA’s staff members privacy and obtainment of their personal data.

The highlighted should be the facts, that reputation of the EA, as an open and transparent organization, is undisputed for both stakeholders and international society. Also, its staff members observe the principles of impartiality and legality in their work. By considering the above-mentioned, such campaigns and attempts unambiguously serve to cover and downgrade the crucial progress that was achieved during the recent period. They might be classified as psychological pressure on the EA’s staff members to hinder their professional activities.

The Election Administration will not allow the violation of its staff members’ rights, intervention in their private lives as well as illegal dissemination of their personal information. The EA’s staff members will continue their work pursuant to the legislation as well as dignity in order to ensure the conduct of elections at high professional level. The EA will traditionally protect their legal interests and take all necessary measures as provided by the law in regard with each fact of violating those interests, including providing information to all international partners.

Today, while the distinct emphasize is put on the establishment of high standards for protecting reputation, work and image of Election Administrations’ staff members in Europe, several stakeholders in our country act in accordance with their narrow private interests or that of their parties, hindering the significantly important process of modernizing elections and harming the electoral environment. We would like to call upon everyone to observe the requirements of ethics as well as laws and not damage the conduct of the 2024 Elections as per the international standards, since elections are a common cause”.