UNM’s Tsitlidze: October will see Russian special operation, not elections, OSCE/ODIHR’s response was entirely expected

Anna Tsitlidze of the United National Movement on Wednesday said the ruling Georgian Dream party’s invitation to the OSCE/ODIHR was “a lie and manipulation,” insisting that what is scheduled for October in Georgia is “a Russian special operation, not elections.”

“With less than a month left before this Russian special operation, Georgian Dream’s move to invite OSCE/ODIHR is nothing more than another deception and manipulation,” Tsitlidze stated.

She recalled earlier Government remarks indicating there would be no international observers and argued that the belated invitation was meant to create a “false impression that elections are being held, when in fact elections in this country have been canceled”.

Tsitlidze said the response from OSCE/ODIHR—stating that Georgia’s late invitation leaves insufficient time for credible, substantive monitoring—was “absolutely predictable” given the organisation’s usual practice of long-term observation.

Earlier, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights confirmed that being invited only on October 4, less than a month before election day, leaves inadequate time to conduct meaningful monitoring of Georgia’s upcoming local elections.