Printer-friendly versionSend to friendPDF version

The Republican Party - Georgia's oldest and now part of the Alliance for Georgia - has accused the ruling National Movement of preparing for electoral fraud in the city of Kutaisi by getting party members sinecures with the local school boards, reports the Human Rights Centre.

Fifty locals have been given jobs as members of school boards in the city and according to the Republicans the majority are active members of the Nationals and many of them previously ran district election committees - the bodies charged with local election organisation.

"The resolution of the City Hall, which lists the reasons for employing new people in the boards of supervisors, does not contain one real reason – fabrication of the upcoming elections at the polling stations which will be opened in the public schools," says Nato Katamadze, chair of the Republicans in the city.

The Nationals have started showing signs of some disarray in the face of local elections - announced by the president for 30 May. MPs for the Nationals have been speaking out against the president's promise of direct elections to the mayors of all five Georgian cities (including Kutaisi) and there have been suggestions that the ruling party will use the dissention as an excuse to cancel the whole process - especially if, as many suspect, their private polls point to what would be a high profile opposition victory in the capital.

The opposition too has its problems with the elections with some leaders pressing for urgent action and protest as an alternative to taking part.