The CEC and the Training Centre held an informational meeting with the representatives of regional media. Natia Zaalishvili, the Training Centre director opened the event and emphasized the importance of the media’s role in ensuring transparency, hate-speech free and safe electoral environment for October 2, 2021 elections.

Within the meeting the Training Centre’s representatives together with the participants discussed recent legal amendments and following main issues:

• rights and role of media in polling process;
• regulations related to photo/video shooting at polling station on polling day (including, regulations on ensuring secrecy of vote and protecting voters personal data during the polling process);
• role of media and other stakeholders in ensuring safe electoral environment;
• countering hate-speech in electoral process and the importance of media’s role;
• regulations related to conducting elections under pandemic;
• establishing election precincts to ensure voters’-temporarily residing in stationary medical facilities and isolation (quarantine, self-isolation) - participation in October 2, 2021 municipal elections. Rules of appointing/providing relevant accreditation to the representatives of observer organizations/electoral subjects/media and their legal rights on such precincts.
• establishing election precincts in special penitentiary facilities. Rules of appointing/providing relevant accreditation to the representatives of observer organizations/electoral subjects/media and their legal rights on such precincts.

The meeting participants were also provided with the information about the rules of using electronic technologies and relevant procedural amendments within the pilot project  to be implemented in N4 Krtsanisi electoral district for October 2, 2021 Municipal Elections.

Informational meeting was held in online format on September 13, 2021 and was attended by 26 representatives (among them, woman – 21 and man – 5) from TV/radio broadcasters, press and online media.