UK cancels election support grants due to lack of approval mechanism in Georgia

The United Kingdom has announced the cancellation of several planned grants aimed at supporting voter education and citizen electoral monitoring in Georgia, citing the absence of an established mechanism for grant approvals by the Georgian government.

According to a statement released by the UK Embassy, the grants - intended to enhance transparency and competitiveness in the upcoming municipal elections - had been discussed in “good faith” with Georgian authorities.

The country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) had acknowledged the value of such initiatives. However, UK officials were informed that the planned Government Decree needed to establish a grant approval process has not yet been finalized. As a result, no clear mechanism or timeframe currently exists to approve such funding.

“Due to this uncertainty, we have reluctantly had to cancel our grant plans to support the transparency and competitiveness of the upcoming municipal elections,” the statement read.

The UK also expressed concern over the Georgian government’s failure, so far, to invite an election monitoring mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) - a step that was taken during previous municipal elections. The lack of facilitation for citizen-led election monitoring efforts and the potential absence of professionally trained observers could undermine public confidence in the electoral process, the Embassy warned.

“This would represent a backwards step that could reduce public confidence in the transparency of the democratic process in Georgia,” the statement added.

Despite the setback, the UK reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Georgia’s democratic development and expressed openness to continued dialogue on ways to do so.