The government’s legislative initiatives, including the reintroduction of the controversial “Russian Law,” have intensified political polarization, threatening the prospects of holding elections in a free and fair environment, Georgia’s Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) said on Tuesday.
GYLA stressed its first interim report, covering the period until June 2024, highlighted critical trends that could undermine the integrity of the upcoming October 26 general elections.
The report identified several “concerning trends”, which included the discrediting of the civil sector, legislation targeting vulnerable groups, and changes to the Central Election Commission (CEC) formation procedures, among others.
GYLA said its monitoring mission was set to deploy 600 observers to around 1,500 polling stations and district election commissions nationwide on election day. The organization emphasized the importance of registering the summary protocols from all precincts and responding appropriately to any discrepancies. GYLA also intended to take legal action if other election violations were detected.
The report highlighted the worsening environment for democratic processes, driven by “deliberate and systematic discrediting campaigns” against the civil sector. Legislative changes aimed at restricting the rights of vulnerable groups, such as the abolition of gender quotas, were described as a “significant step backward”.
The report also expressed alarm over changes to the CEC’s formation and decision-making procedures, which it claimed could jeopardize the impartiality of the election process. Additionally, the introduction of a delegation system by the ruling party was seen as an attempt to reintroduce majoritarianism within the framework of proportional elections, altering candidate selection criteria, campaign strategies, and party priorities.
The report also pointed to a “worrying increase” in government announcements of social programs, including a large-scale prisoner amnesty, the write-off of financial obligations, salary increases for teachers and civil servants, and the completion of infrastructural projects, all during the reporting period.
In addition to monitoring the election process, GYLA introduced a project focusing on the oversight of significant criminal cases in the context of the 2024 parliamentary elections. This project will examine cases related to the rights of individuals arrested during “anti-Russian law protests”, the persecution of media outlets and journalists, and issues concerning freedom of expression.
The “Russian Law” refers to the Foreign Influence Transparency Law adopted by Georgia’s Parliament in May, which obliges organizations obtaining more than 20 percent of their incomes from abroad as pursuant of foreign interests.
