ISFED dubbed a “fraudulent organization” – ruling party Sec Gen

The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy NGO is an organization engaged with falsifying of election results, the ruling Georgian Dream party Secretary General, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said on Wednesday in comments on he US Embassy backing the NGO after the letter was blocked from the electoral working group for the country’s EU candidacy. 

“ISFED’s name is associated with a fraudulent organization. These are not just my words, these are proven facts. This organization was engaged in falsifying election results”, Kaladze said, reminding the public of the ISFED’s mistake in the parallel vote count data following the 2020 parliamentary elections, which, according to the GD, “encouraged opposition” to take to the street and boycott the parliamentary work. 

In its recent statement the US Embassy said that the  exclusion of ISFED, “one of Georgia’s most trusted and experienced election observation organizations”, from the Parliamentary working group on election reforms “directly contradicts the European Commission’s recommendation” that Georgia “ensure the involvement of civil society in decision-making processes at all levels.”

“ISFED was selected by its peer organizations to represent civil society at the working group because of its expertise, professionalism, and long experience with election reform. Civil society organizations serve as the voice of the people on a range of issues and play a vital role in ensuring that citizens’ needs, priorities, and preferences are addressed. ISFED’S exclusion raises questions about the sincerity of Parliament’s electoral reform process”, said the Embassy. 

The GD slammed the Embassy for the statement, claiming that ISFED was a “biased NGO”.