The Communications Commission issued a warning to Media Union Obiektivi and Girchi TV for political advertising outside the election campaign period and demanded immediate withdrawal of the relevant video clips from the networks.

According to the Georgian legislation, broadcasters are prohibited from placing political adverts outside the election campaign period. More specifically, television stations can only start showing political adverts 50 days before the vote.

The given case concerns the video clips that were unlawfully broadcasted in August. In the video clip shown on Obiektivi, the leader of the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia Irma Inashvili speaks about various economic projects, with party symbols being visible in the background. Ms Inashvili promises to implement the projects in question if her party was to win the elections. As for Girchi TV, the video clip shows the leaders of the political union Girchi and party symbols. The clip deals with the upcoming election and highlights past activities carried out by the party.

Thus, the content of the aforementioned video clips constitutes information about political parties and their members, is aimed at non-specific audiences and serves to benefit political parties and their members during the election.