The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia [MFA] responds to the spread information about the number of compatriots living abroad, who are on consular registration.

According to the agency, individuals manipulate the statistics published on the electronic consular portal of the MFA, geoconsul.gov.ge, and claim that 128,000 compatriots registered for the upcoming parliamentary elections, while the Ministry notified the Central Election Commission gave the data of 65,000 voters.

“The mentioned website was launched in 2015. Accordingly, the statistical index of the website records the number of people who have used this website since 2015, including those who entered the consular register.

It should be noted here that not only adult citizens of Georgia have the right to come to the consular registration, but also minor citizens of Georgia, persons with the status of stateless persons in Georgia and persons with a neutral travel document who are not included in the category of persons with the right to vote. Accordingly, the statistical indicator of the website (128,000 people) includes all people of this category since 2015.

These statistics also include those persons who at one time entered the consular register through this website and then were removed, although they still remain in the statistical data as users of the mentioned website.

Accordingly, the figure given on the website reflects the number of people who generally used the electronic system of consular registration and does not represent the statistics of people who are currently on consular registration.

In accordance with the legislation of Georgia, the MFA provides the CEC only with the number of active voters on consular registration, whose number is at least 50 people in each country, and it is possible to open a polling station. Accordingly, the data of compatriots in countries where the number of citizens on consular registration is less than 50 or where, due to the political or war situation, elections are not held, will not be transferred to the CEC.

It is a pity that instead of objectively informing the population about election procedures and rules, individuals continue to manipulate this topic and mislead our countrymen, about which the MFA will make an additional statement”, - reads the statement.