Election commission rejects criticism over state audit findings

Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) has defended its financial and economic management following the publication of an audit by the State Audit Office, accusing some critics of attempting to discredit the election administration through what it described as misleading claims.

In a statement on Friday, the CEC said the State Audit Office had reviewed the commission's financial and economic activities for 2023 and 2024. The audit findings were published on 8 June and discussed the same day during a hearing of the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee.

The election commission said it viewed the audit process and the recommendations issued by the State Audit Office as an important mechanism for improving its work. According to the CEC, the audit did not identify any significant violations and all issues raised had been accompanied by explanations submitted to auditors.

The commission stated that six of the seven recommendations issued by the State Audit Office had already been implemented, while the remaining recommendation had been largely fulfilled.

The CEC also criticised unnamed individuals and groups for what it described as attempts to use the audit report to undermine confidence in the election administration.

It argued that those criticising the commission should also consider the report on the implementation of audit recommendations, which was publicly discussed during the parliamentary committee hearing.

The election commission said it would continue to provide voters with what it described as verified information and would respond to any attempts to create misleading perceptions about its work.