The Communications Commission rejected the complaint lodged by the political union Unity – National Movement against the following broadcasters: Mtavari Arkhi, Formula, TV Pirveli, Teleimedi, Rustavi 2 (Media Holding), Studio Maestro, PosTV, Georgian Public Broadcaster, Adjara TV and Radio of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, Silk Media, and Ilioni. 

According to the complaint lodged by Unity – National Movement, the coalition requested free placement of political advertising from the aforementioned TV companies, but the free advertising time to which the parties are entitled under the legislation was allocated incorrectly. Specifically, the time allocated to the electoral alliance should have been divided into three, but was instead divided into five, meaning that UNM’s free advertising time was reduced. 

The Communications Commission discussed the issue and noted that according to the Georgian legislation, free airtime is afforded equally to the parties and electoral blocs that passed the relevant electoral threshold established by the Georgian constitution in the last parliamentary elections. If free airtime is given to an electoral bloc, that time shall be equally distributed among the political parties within the bloc. Furthermore, the Election Code of Georgia distinguishes between a political party and an electoral subject. An electoral subject is “a party, an initiative group of voters, a candidate for member of public authority representative body, or a candidate for public official registered by the chairperson of an appropriate election commission.” 

Since the Election Code of Georgia refers to “political parties” rather than “electoral subjects,” the free airtime is to be allocated equally to the political parties that are part of the electoral bloc, including those that are not registered as electoral subjects for the current elections. 

In light of the above, the Communications Commission deemed that the broadcasters did not violate the relevant norms of the Election Code, and rejected the complaint by the political union Unity – National Movement.