Laura Thornton: if Georgian gov’t decides elections’ fate alone, It’ll affect trust to the process

Director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy at German Marshall Fund, former head of NDI to Georgia Laura Thornton says that if the Georgian government makes an unilateral decision on whether or not to hold the October 2 municipal elections when the country is the number one Covid hotspot in the world, the attitude will decrease trust to the elections. 

 

Thornton’s statement comes on the heels of the recommendations of the Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria on the need for postponement of elections and the calls of the opposition parties that the country’s coordinating council on coronavirus issues to ‘make prognosis’ on the election fate. 

 

The Georgian PM and the ruling Georgian Dream party officials claim that the opposition ‘is interested in the postponement of the elections because they are afraid of an inevitable failure’ and say that Lomjaria ‘was pushed” to make the ‘incorrect statement.’ 

 

Thornton has advised the Georgian government to use the experience of the countries which have had elections scheduled aimd the pandemic. 

 

“Countries that failed to have main competing parties in agreement about this critical decision fared poorly, resulting in low trust and even protests,” she said. 

 

Thornton stated that the government should ensure  special voting arrangements are available, such as mail-in, early, and mobile voting options – ‘this may require legislative changes immediately, as well as resources/infrastructure to implement. It is not advisable/safe to have everyone voting in person on the same day.’ 

 

She said that inter-agency cooperation (election management body, government, parliament) ‘is essential and must start immediately’, particularly with regard to resources required for holding a Covid election.

 

Thornton also pointed at the necessity of a comprehensive communications plan and health procedures at polling locations. 

 

“Postponing elections also has consequences (and may require legal and/or constitutional changes). Ultimately either decision boils down to trust — particularly in the EMB — and consensus among political actors that it is the right decision. When governments make the decision to hold or postpone elections during Covid based on what they foresee as politically advantageous (e.g. Burundi, Serbia, Guinea), there is little trust in the legitimacy of the process,” Thornton said. 

 

Coronavirus cases began to surge in Georgia starting July, hitting 4,000-5,000 daily cases. 

 

Currently Georgia is taking a top position worldwide according to daily cases and deaths.