European People’s Party voices support for “Georgian people’s demands” on election fairness

The European People’s Party (EPP) has backed the “Georgian people in their call for swift action” on concerns over the recent election process, which they claim was marred by “widespread manipulation”. In a statement, the EPP emphasized support for Georgian citizens’ “legitimate demand” to ensure the fairness of the election results.

The EPP statement pointed to October 26 as a date when “the people of Georgia were again deprived of their fundamental freedoms and the right to choose their own future in free and fair elections.”

It accused the ruling Georgian Dream government of using tactics such as “violence, pressure, intimidation, bribery of votes, misuse of administrative resources, and electoral manipulations,” which they said undermined democratic values, the rule of law, and aspirations for European integration.

The EPP also appealed to democratic allies to investigate reports of electoral abuse documented by local and international monitoring groups, asserting that “credible missions” had reported significant concerns over the conduct of the elections. “The Georgian people deserve their place among the free, democratic countries of Europe,” the statement continued, adding, “and no one should take away their European future.”