Georgia's CEC must conduct transparent investigation to restore trust in electoral process: EU joint statement

The European Union has called on Georgia's CEC to conduct a prompt, transparent, and independent investigation into allegations of irregularities in the country's parliamentary elections and to address them. The EU called this step necessary to restore confidence in the electoral process.

A statement by the European Commission and EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell was published on the European Commission's website on October 27. It says that the EU is "closely monitoring the developments leading up to the parliamentary elections."

It is also noted that in recent months, the people of Georgia have demonstrated their commitment to democratic values and the EU path.

According to the preliminary findings and conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission led by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), "Election Day was generally well organized and conducted in an orderly manner.

At the same time, however, the voting was marked by a tense environment with frequent violations of the secrecy of the vote and a number of procedural inconsistencies, as well as reports of intimidation and pressure on voters, which negatively affected public confidence in the process.

The EU pointed to numerous reports of pressure, especially on civil servants, which, combined with large-scale voter tracking on election day, "raised concerns about the ability of some to cast their vote without fear of retribution."

Moreover, election observers report an uneven playing field and disagreements "in a polarized atmosphere," as well as serious concerns about the impact of recent legislative amendments on this vote.

"We call on the Georgian CEC and other relevant authorities to fulfill their obligation to promptly, transparently, and independently investigate and adjudicate electoral violations and allegations. These violations must be clarified and addressed. This is a necessary step to restore confidence in the electoral process," the EU called for.

The European Union also added that it looks forward to the final report and recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR, which "should be implemented as soon as possible."

Constructive dialogue is now of paramount importance. The EU calls on Georgia to adopt democratic, comprehensive and sustainable reforms in line with the basic principles of European integration, the statement said.

"In this context, the EU recalls that any legislation that undermines the fundamental rights and freedoms of Georgian citizens and contradicts the values and principles on which the EU is founded must be repealed," the EU said.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, on October 27, Georgia held parliamentary elections, which were called the most important since the country's independence, as the country is actually choosing between European integration and dependence on Russia.

According to an exit poll by Edison Research, the opposition was expected to win the election with 51.9% of the vote, while the ruling pro-Russian Georgian Dream party was expected to win with 40.9%.

However, the Georgian CEC announced the victory of the Georgian Dream with an alleged 54.08% of the vote. The Georgian opposition said it did not recognize these results.

The International Election Observation Mission in Georgia reported numerous reports of pressure on voters, intimidation, discrediting of observers, abuse of administrative resources, and a number of other violations, including cases of violence against opposition members.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili called on the people to protest on the evening of Monday, October 28. She called the election itself "Russian". The opposition party Coalition for Change announced that it was giving up its parliamentary seats.

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