The Communications Commission has deemed Teleimedi and Rustavi 2 to have violated the Election Code of Georgia by refusing to place paid political advertising, and issued the broadcasters with administrative violation reports. 

The Commission received a complaint from the political union Strong Georgia – Lelo, For the People, For Freedom, according to which, despite signing an agreement for the placement of paid political advertising, as well as earlier rulings by ComCom and the court on this matter, both broadcasters have continued to refuse to air the adverts submitted by Strong Georgia. 

According to the Election Code, a broadcast licence holder or authorised broadcaster must, not later than 5 calendar days from the 60^th day before polling, for the purpose of publishing on the website of the Communications Commission, submit information on airtime tariffs for the paid pre-election advertising campaign. Such tariffs shall be effective from the 50^th day before the polling. The broadcaster publishing the tariffs is obliged to air the paid adverts submitted by the relevant political parties. Failure to do so violates the legislation. In addition, the guidebook of the Communications Commission prohibits discrimination and requires broadcasters to air the submitted paid political adverts of all electoral subjects equally. 

In light of the above, the Communications Commission deemed Rustavi 2 and Teleimedi to have violated the Election Code and issued the broadcasters with violation reports.