Givi Mikanadze, a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday criticized the pre-election monitoring report published by the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED).
During a briefing, Mikanadze described the report’s findings as “completely absurd and baseless,” accusing the non-governmental organization (NGO) of deliberately polarizing the political environment.
Mikanadze highlighted that ISFED’s report focused on the country’s “severe polarization” but failed to mention the campaign launched by several NGOs, framing the upcoming parliamentary elections as a choice between Europe and non-Europe. He accused these organizations of creating division, arguing that ISFED had overlooked their role in polarizing the public.
The MP also dismissed ISFED’s concerns regarding Georgian Dream’s potential declaration of the United National Movement (UNM) as unconstitutional if the ruling party secures a constitutional majority in the next election. He referenced Article 23, Paragraph 3 of the Georgian Constitution, which prohibits political parties that seek to overthrow the constitutional order or promote violence. Mikanadze pointed out that several democratic countries, including Council of Europe members, have banned political parties that engage in violent actions or undermine democratic principles.
Responding to the report’s claim that the ruling party has not effectively investigated incidents of election-related violence, Mikanadze rejected these allegations. He stated that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had addressed all cases, initiated investigations, and granted victim status to some individuals. He further criticized ISFED for not acknowledging the steps taken by authorities.
Regarding amendments to electoral legislation, Mikanadze defended the recent changes to reduce the qualified majority required for decision-making within the Central Election Commission (CEC). He explained that the amendments were necessary to prevent opposition parties from sabotaging the electoral process and praised the support of both politically appointed and nonpartisan CEC members.
Mikanadze also attacked ISFED’s criticism of the CEC’s practice of drawing lots to assign functions to precinct election commission members, calling it a manipulative narrative. He emphasized that this process had been in place since 2023 and had not previously disrupted elections.
In a broader critique, Mikanadze lambasted ISFED’s portrayal of symbolic gifts given during the annual Beshumoba Festival as electoral bribery, dismissing the claim as “out of touch with reality.” He similarly rejected allegations that ruling party representatives were misusing administrative resources for electoral purposes, citing the legitimate activities of majoritarian deputies as part of their parliamentary roles.
Mikanadze also condemned ISFED’s claim that certain state programs, such as paid internships for young people, were election-motivated. He argued that these initiatives were part of long-standing legislative reforms and efforts to improve the public sector.
In closing, Mikanadze accused ISFED of ignoring the opposition’s own electoral violations, such as organizing pre-election meetings with support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), opposition-led propaganda campaigns, and foreign-funded NGOs engaging in political activities. He also highlighted cases of public bullying and threats directed at Georgian Dream members, which he said had been overlooked in ISFED’s report.
Mikanadze concluded his remarks by calling on international partners to scrutinize ISFED’s activities, claiming that the organization had lost its neutrality and now operated as a partisan entity seeking to discredit the ruling party.
