We would like to ask IATF to study whether the video advertisement aired by Rustavi-2 on 11 May is in compliance with the election legislation. The video concerns education projects planned by the International Centre for Education and financed by the government, and in the opinion of our organization contains elements of political advertising.

Specifically, the video clip not only contains information about events to be organized with the use of the state resources, but also connects creation of the International Centre for Education with the Prime-Minister personally, who, as a representative of the ruling political team, is actively involved in the election campaigning  and personally nominates the Georgian Dream candidates in the regions.

Strict separation of the state agency services from election campaigning during the pre-election period is essential to avoid the state programs financed by the government being perceived as election campaigning and the use of administrative resource for the goals of a political party.

It is important for the IATF to keep the standard established by this institution on the 2012 parliamentary and 2013 presidential elections, when during the pre-election period airing of the video clips that advertised activities of the government and could be understood as election campaigning was restricted.