Georgian Public Defender urges inclusion of IDPs abroad in election list

The Public Defender of Georgia on Friday issued a call to the Central Election Commission (CEC) to include Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living abroad in the upcoming election list.

This appeal addresses the challenges faced by IDPs registered in the occupied territories of Georgia, who, despite being consular registered, have not been included in the unified electoral list due to their lack of an actual address in areas controlled by the Georgian government.

The Ombudsman emphasized that technical registration issues should not hinder the constitutional right of individuals to participate in elections, particularly in the context of general state elections, which are of paramount importance.

In a statement, the Public Defender urged the CEC to use its discretionary powers to ensure that those affected are able to exercise their voting rights.