Norway’s Foreign Minister expresses concerns over Georgia’s elections after OSCE/ODIHR final report

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has voiced serious concerns over Georgia’s recent elections, citing findings from the final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Taking to X Eide stated, “Our serious concerns over the recent Georgia elections are confirmed by @osce_odhir in its final report. When elections are flawed, democracy is endangered.”

The OSCE/ODIHR report highlighted significant issues during Georgia’s parliamentary elections, including voter pressure, a lack of transparency, and compromised independence of state institutions.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili stated the only way out is to hold new elections to stop the country’s democratic backsliding. Opposition parties in Georgia have rallied behind the President’s proposal to address these issues, viewing it as an essential measure to restore trust in the country’s democratic processes.

Meanwhile, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze dismissed the report’s findings, characterizing them as referencing only “isolated violent incidents.” While he acknowledged some “critical observations,” such as concerns about the secrecy of the vote, he refrained from addressing the report’s detailed conclusions.