Opposition leaders meet EU delegation to discuss alleged violations in Georgia’s October 26 elections

The leaders of Georgia’s opposition parties are holding a meeting with a delegation of European Union Committee on Foreign Relations chairman from eight EU member countries, currently visiting Georgia. The opposition politicians, speaking to journalists before the meeting, emphasized that the recent parliamentary elections on October 26 were marred by violations and called for an international investigation into the process.

During the meeting, the delegation engaged with leaders from the opposition parties, including Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia, Gakharia for Georgia, and Unity – National Movement.

Zurab Japaridze, a leader of the Coalition for Change, expressed concern over the fairness of the elections, stressing that key commitments outlined by the European Commission for Georgia to open negotiations with the EU had not been fulfilled. Japaridze pointed out that while some reforms, such as judicial and legislative changes, could be assessed from a distance, the issue at hand is the direct, on-the-ground process of voting.

“We need to assess how free and fair the elections were,” Japaridze said. “The European Commission’s nine points, which Georgia had to fulfill for negotiations to open, have not been practically implemented. These issues are crucial to understanding the election’s integrity. We need a detailed study of the pre-election environment and events leading up to the elections, including threats, violence, and intimidation faced by the opposition. This process warrants thorough international examination.”

The ruling party representatives, including Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, have refused to meet the delegation, accusing the delegation members of “political bias” and using “hostile language” to the Georgian Dream authorities.